


The Seventh Circle

by Lexie_Raven



Series: The Inferno [2]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alex Danvers & Lena Luthor Friendship, Alien Technology, Amnesia, Amnesiac Maggie Sawyer, Amputation, Argo City (DCU), BAMF Alex Danvers, Danvers Sisters, F/F, Gen, Gladiators, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Major Character Injury, Minor Character Death, POV Alternating, Please Don't Hate Me, Protective Alex Danvers, Resistance, Sanvers and SuperCorp are Endgame, Slavery, Space Pirates, Temporary Character Death, Temporary relationship, War World
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:54:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 58,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22207456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lexie_Raven/pseuds/Lexie_Raven
Summary: Picks up from where Into the Fire left off.  Maggie is War World's Champion, Kara's being forced into death matches because she refuses to play by R'Kard's rules, and Alex and Lena (along with their new friends) are working their way across the galaxies to find them again, dodging various threats along the way.  Will Maggie and Kara survive long enough for help to reach them?  Will Alex and Lena make it to War World in one piece despite the bounty on their heads?
Relationships: Alex Danvers & Kara Danvers, Alex Danvers & Lena Luthor, Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, Maggie Sawyer/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Inferno [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1237670
Comments: 45
Kudos: 65





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I sincerely apologize for the lengthy wait between parts of this series. It was certainly not my intention to leave everyone hanging this long. I just prefer to have a piece finished before posting to avoid long gaps between chapters (updates for this part will be on Saturdays until it's complete), and ended up doing a few rewrites along the way to get the story going in the right direction. But I promise this will be worth the wait. Now onto the story....

“Die, human scum!”

War World’s only human gladiator rolled her eyes as she dodged the blow from her opponent’s axe. “Gotta do better than that!” she taunted.

“On my planet, females bow to males!” The Valeronian swung again, and this time the human was able to catch the axe handle against the shaft of her Warhammer. And, thanks to the strength enhancers in the armor her Master had provided, she was not only able to block the blow, but drive her opponent backwards a few paces.

“In case you haven’t noticed, we’re not on your planet. And here’s how _we_ handle arrogant douchebags like you.” Before the Valeronian could react, the human swung her Warhammer low, catching him right between the legs. He dropped to his knees, howling in pain, and she quickly took advantage, putting the head of the hammer against his throat and forcing him to the sand. “Yield!”

He spat in her face. “Xartan does not yield to females!”

“Have it your way.” Wiping away the spittle, she raised the hammer again and slammed it into his head. Not hard enough to kill him, but he’d be out for a while. She tossed the hammer down next to her fallen opponent and a loud cheer went up from the stands as the small blue alien who officiated the bouts approached, raising her arm.

“Winner and still Champion,” he boomed. “Spartaca!” The crowd started chanting her name and ‘Spartaca’ took the opportunity to remove her helmet and wave, barely even noticing as the medics came to help Xartan out of the Arena. She’d won over a dozen fights without taking even a single loss, and the crowd’s adulation was still as thrilling as that first time. Addicting, even. Yes, on some level she knew that fighting for entertainment like this was wrong. But it was the only life she could remember, and she’d worked hard to not just become Master R’Kard’s champion, but – as result of the big tournament her Master had entered her into for her second appearance in the Arena – the Champion of all War World. An honor she fully intended to hold onto for as long as possible. Terrible as it might sound, it was hard to imagine doing anything else.

After a quick glance into the recording device that was broadcasting the fight across the known galaxies, the human reclaimed her favorite weapon and returned to the preparation area assigned to Master R’Kard’s academy. Besides herself, Master R’Kard’s stable of gladiators included a Rigellian, an Almeracian, an Andromedan, a Vuldarian, and a Tellurian. There were a few others who’d been brought in more recently, but she hadn’t paid them much attention. None of them were currently in the room – probably because her bout had been the day’s main event. As soon as she stepped inside, one of Master R’Kard’s minions came over to take the Warhammer while several more moved in to help her remove the armor. It was made from Nth metal, colored black with patterns etched on it in gold. The metal covered her chest and back, the outside of her arms, the lower half of her torso, and the front of her thighs. She wore heavy knee-high boots and thick leather gloves. A golden helmet in the shape of a lion’s head completed the ensemble along with a long violet cape, but she usually handed the latter off to one of the minions before the fights began so it wouldn’t get in her way. However, the real secret was the body suit she wore beneath the metal. She wasn’t sure what the material was called, but it was nigh-impenetrable, and the suit incorporated nanites that communicated with the ones in her system and gave her strength and speed beyond any normal human as long as she wore it, which evened the odds against opponents who came by such gifts naturally. 

Her armor was about half undone when the minions suddenly disappeared, their hands replaced by more feminine ones. “Impressive performance today,” a familiar voice purred in her ear as the rest of the armor fell away. “You certainly gave Xartan something to think about…assuming his brains haven’t been completely scrambled.”

Spartaca shrugged, turning to face her trainer. “Come now, Kitty…you know how I feel about these over-muscled males acting like misogynistic dicks. I couldn’t let that shit slide.”

“I know,” Shadowcat chuckled. “And with any luck, Xartan’s master won’t go running to Master R’Kard for compensation. But enough about him.” As she spoke, Shadowcat moved behind her once again and started unzipping the bodysuit, pushing the material off Spartaca’s shoulders and planting soft kisses on the newly bared flesh. The human instinctively looked around to make sure they were alone before allowing herself to lean into the trainer’s embrace. Kicking off her boots, she pulled the bodysuit off the rest of the way and twisted back around to face Shadowcat once more, drawing her into a heated kiss.

“How long do we have?”

“Not long.”

“Then I suggest we make the most of it.” With another kiss, Spartaca pushed the taller woman up against the nearby wall, Shadowcat happy to let her be the one in control….

An all-too-short time later, the two were curled up on the floor beneath the cape from Spartaca’s armor. Shadowcat had an arm wrapped around her from behind, drawing lazy patterns on her bare stomach. “We should probably head back. Master R’Kard wanted to see you after your match.”

Spartaca rolled her eyes. “Please tell me it’s not another wealthy female patron looking for…entertainment.”

“Gods, I hope not. Pretending not to care about you is hard enough as is.” In training, Shadowcat was a total hard ass, tending to come down on her worse than anyone when she screwed up. Especially in those early days, when she – like so many others – assumed that the puny human didn’t have what it takes. But the harshness was meant to toughen them up…prepare them for what they’d be facing in the Arena. It wasn’t malicious. Outside of the training grounds, Shadowcat went from ferocious tiger to gentle housecat (so to speak). One of the few truly decent people Spartaca could remember knowing.

“Any idea what he _does_ want?”

Shadowcat sighed, sitting up and pulling her clothes back on as Spartaca moved to grab her training outfit. “Not a clue. He just said to send you back immediately. I’ve probably already made you late. But I’d be happy to take the blame if he says anything.”

“Don’t worry about it, Kitty. I can handle Master R’Kard.”

“Are you sure?” the trainer frowned. “You know his temper.”

“Which is why I don’t want you putting yourself in his crosshairs. Last thing I need is him firing you and finding someone else to handle the training.” She finished dressing and pulled Shadowcat in for one last quick kiss. “Let’s just get out of here before he really gets pissed.” Not wanting to incur the Master’s wrath more than she might have already, Spartaca headed outside, where the transport to take her back to the compound was – thankfully – still waiting. Her armor and weapon would stay at the Arena. It was easier that way, especially since Lord Mongul had given them the preparation room on a permanent basis, meaning that no one would be wandering in to steal their things. 

All through the utterly routine ride back, the human could only wonder what exactly her Master wanted. Did he intend to lavish her with praise for her performance today? Or had she committed some fault that he felt the need to correct? It was impossible to predict, and Shadowcat would be no help. The trainer knew better than to probe Master R’Kard’s dealings with his gladiators too deeply, much as she may have wanted to. Unfortunately, getting paid for her work didn’t give her any more protection from him than the slaves she trained. She might as well have been one herself. Shadowcat _did_ have a life outside the compound, and there were rumors that, privately, she wasn’t exactly toeing the line when it came to slavery on War World, but Spartaca could never bring herself to waste any of their stolen moments asking if said rumors were true. Even if they were, she doubted it would change anything in her case. Not with how deeply Master R’Kard was invested in her.

As soon as the transport arrived at the compound, the human went directly to Master R’Kard’s audience chambers, certain that there would be some sort of penalty if she waited any longer. He was seated on his throne, watching a holographic display that he shut off as soon as he heard her footsteps. She quickly dropped to one knee. “You wanted to see me, Sir?”

“I did,” he nodded, gesturing for her to rise. “That was quite a performance today. You continue to exceed my expectations. Here.” He tossed a small bag at her feet, and she picked it up to find it full of silvers.

Breathing a small sigh of relief that he seemed to be in a good mood today, and that he didn’t ask about her lateness, she dared to meet his eyes. “Sir?”

“Your earnings so far.”

She frowned. This was unusual, even for him. “I’m not sure I understand, Sir.”

“You’re a Champion,” R’Kard smiled, standing up and approaching. “Not only of this academy, but of Lord Mongul’s Arena. Which makes you the greatest gladiator in all of War World. Your comrades won’t see their earnings until they retire – assuming they make it that long – but my Champion deserves the best. Not total freedom, of course, but I see no reason to continue keeping you confined behind these walls when you’re not fighting. As long as you’re here when you need to be, get back by curfew each night, and do nothing to tarnish this academy’s reputation, you have my permission to go out and spend your earnings in the marketplace.”

“How can you be sure I won’t take this and run?” she asked, immediately regretting it when his expression darkened.

R’Kard clapped a hand down on her shoulder, squeezing just hard enough to remind her of the strength he possessed. Strength she was all too familiar with. “Why would you run when you have everything you could ever want right here? Fame…fortune…the finest luxuries War World has to offer….”

“Of course,” she nodded, clutching the bag a bit tighter. She was sure there had to be some strings attached – ones she probably wouldn’t like – but even the slightest opportunity to get herself some breathing room outside of the Arena was too good to pass up. Especially since Shadowcat had her own place on the outskirts of the market. “I-if there’s anything else I can do, Sir….”

“There is, actually. I’d like you to accompany me tonight. I need your honest assessment.” R’Kard reactivated the holographic display, showing the dungeon where he kept his more troublesome acquisitions. One in particular.

“This is about the Kryptonian.” Her earliest memory was of waking up in the infirmary and being told by Master R’Kard that she’d been injured during the Kryptonian’s failed attempt at escape. According to him, the damage done to her head was responsible for her inability to remember anything prior to that moment, and his healer was not optimistic that those memories could ever be recovered. She’d been all too ready to believe him at the time, not knowing any different. But after fighting the Kryptonian…seeing the betrayed look in the blonde’s eyes as she dealt her blow after devastating blow…she started to question whether Master R’Kard had been telling her the whole truth. Not that she could ever admit such doubts aloud. “Sir, I’m not really sure how much help I can be. I barely know her.”

Master R’Kard frowned. “I’m not asking if you _know_ her. What I need is your opinion on her…mental stability.”

“Begging your pardon, Sir, but I still don’t understand.”

“I’ve decided that it’s time to bring the Kryptonian back into the fold, so to speak. Assuming, of course, that she can be trusted not to try and run again. I’m hoping that her time in the Underworld will have cured her of that. Tonight will be her final test. I’ve already made the arrangements with the Pitmaster. You are going with me to provide a…second opinion, let’s say.”

“But why now?”

“That’s none of your concern,” Master R’Kard snapped, a dangerous gleam in his eyes. “You will do as I command!”

She nodded, knowing better than to argue. “As you wish, Sir.”

“And if she does pass the test, and you don’t feel she’s likely to make another bid for freedom, I’m placing you in charge of her training for the Arena. Shadowcat has too much on her plate right now. Especially with the new recruits I plan on bringing in next lunar cycle.”

“Of course,” she agreed, already dreading the extra responsibility. Not to mention dealing with the Kryptonian’s almost legendary stubbornness. “I-it would be an honor.” Not exactly true, and Spartaca couldn’t help but wonder if he suspected how close she and Shadowcat had become and was trying to separate them, but the only answer she could give was the one he wanted to hear.

“That’s what I thought.”

“May I ask just what you are testing for, exactly?”

Master R’Kard frowned again but didn’t seem overly offended. This time. “Since it bears on this conversation, yes. From the moment I started sending her to the Underworld, the Kryptonian has managed to completely avoid killing her opponents directly, instead maneuvering them into accidents that end in their demise. I mean to force her, once and for all, to finally make the choice to finish an opponent herself. If she does, it means she’s gotten over that annoying compassion that was holding her back. And failing would result in her own death, taking care of my problem either way.”

“Makes sense, I suppose,” she shrugged. Spartaca rarely had to kill in the Arena herself, but she could do so if need be, and the Kryptonian would have to be willing to if she had any chance of making it there. “Just out of curiosity, how do you plan on forcing her to kill?” Her Master’s only response was a chilling smile….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me. I swear, Sanvers is still endgame. The muses just insisted on this little detour along the way, brought about by her lack of memory. 
> 
> Anyway...see you next Saturday with Kara's first chapter!


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara faces R'Kard's test, which takes a surprising turn....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos and comments so far! I'm glad people are still interested in this story despite the unintentionally lengthy hiatus between parts 1 and 2.

_“Darr Mand of Klaramar has been eliminated!”_ As the guards dragged the Klaramarian’s corpse off the sword he’d fallen on, Kara sagged back against the wall, utterly exhausted. The night’s event had been declared a ‘gauntlet match,’ which meant that each combatant would take on successive opponents until they were eliminated or managed to be the last survivor. Not unlike some of the wrestling shows Alex sometimes watched, except for the fact that here, elimination meant death. Of course, Kara had been shoved in as contestant number one. Only by Rao’s grace was she able to maneuver her opponents into fatal blunders and keep herself in the game. Each death she’d had a hand in over the past few months chipped away pieces of her soul, but Kara kept telling herself that it was better than the alternative. That as long as she survived, there was hope that someone would come to get her out. She also tried to convince herself that not actually striking the killing blow meant that she hadn’t yet broken her code, but the longer this went on, the less she believed it. And she had a sneaking suspicion that tonight’s festivities were meant to force her hand. Why else would R’Kard have attended personally? Kara dared a glance at the back of the audience, where her ‘master’ sat alongside his Champion, looking increasingly frustrated.

Though the ‘match’ wasn’t over yet, there seemed to be a bit of a delay with the next opponent, so Kara took the opportunity to assess her current condition. Blood seeped through her clothes in several spots from blows she hadn’t been able to dodge, and she could taste it in her mouth as well. She spat some on the ground and wiped at her lip, glancing at R’Kard again. One thing she’d learned in the months she’d spent having to fight these death matches was that the nanotech he used to cause pain when she disobeyed and slowly chip at her memories had other functions. For one, they acted as microscopic solar batteries, allowing her to store the energy from the solar emitters above her cage for use when she was back under the planet’s red sun. But they also gave R’Kard the power to cut off access to whichever abilities he deemed unnecessary and limit the ones he permitted her to utilize. Right now, she had about 50% of her strength and speed, while the rest of her powers lay dormant. Including her invulnerability and healing ability. How R’Kard managed to shut those off, she didn’t know, but he reasoned that they’d give her an unfair advantage in the Underworld. He reactivated her healing between these excursions sometimes, though it was generally limited to when she suffered serious injuries that could potentially keep her from the fights for a while. Otherwise she had to content herself with Zara’s skills as a healer. Her formerly-flawless skin now bore the scars of some of her worst battles – reminders of the compromises she’d had to make just to keep herself alive. 

“Back on your feet, Kryptonian,” one of the guards snarled, grabbing Kara’s arm and shoving her back to the center of the pit just as H’ravik – the purple-skinned ‘Pitmaster’ for the Underworld – caught the crowd’s attention once more.

“Ursa the Destroyer has defeated six of the Underworld’s deadliest fighters. But the gods have decreed that she must face one final test before the sun rises once more. I give you the Beast!” Right on cue, guards wrangled a heavily restrained Toomian into the pit as the crowd roared its approval. The guards quickly backed away and there was a strange noise that Kara couldn’t quite place. She waited for the usual weapon selection ritual to begin, but H’ravik seemed content to stay where he was. Which definitely didn’t bode well. Kara dared another glance at R’Kard, who seemed especially smug about the fact that his two fighters were about to face off. The Toomian had been growing too savage to control, so he probably figured his problem was solved whichever way this turned out. Either she put the Toomian down, or he’d take her out and rid R’Kard of a rebellious slave.

Kara’s train of thought was disrupted by the sound of metal hitting the dirt. She returned her attention to the Toomian just in time to see the restraints fall away. The Toomian leapt forward and she dove to one side. But instead of rolling safely to the edge of the pit, she crashed against some invisible barrier barely a few feet from where she’d originally stood. And she had almost no time to recover before the Toomian renewed his attack. He lunged again, teeth bared, and this time Kara managed to use his own momentum to toss him into the invisible barrier instead. While the Toomian was down, Kara backed up as far as she could. Unfortunately, whatever H’ravik used to create the barrier gave the two of them just barely more space than her cell in R’Kard’s compound. 

“You don’t have to do this,” Kara urged as the Toomian started to rise. “We’re not their puppets.” A wild look in his eyes, the Toomian leapt for her yet again. Kara met him halfway, driving a shoulder into his abdomen while avoiding his teeth. He hit the ground hard. Thinking quickly, Kara shifted her position, moving behind him and wrapping an arm around his thick neck. The Toomian bucked and flailed, but Kara held on, using every ounce of the strength R’Kard had allowed her. “Please,” Kara whispered. “Stop fighting me. I don’t want to hurt you.”

The Toomian’s struggles slowed a bit. Kara couldn’t see his face from her current position, but she could sense something had changed. “Finish it,” he croaked, voice hoarse from disuse.

“I-I can’t.”

“Please. Let Varrik Wot die Varrik Wot, not Beast. Varrik Wot tired.” As he spoke, Kara could feel him getting agitated again. Almost as though there were two personalities warring with each other. She didn’t know much about Toomians, but Aunt Astra had once told her that they preferred death over ‘going feral,’ as they called it. And if that was what Varrik Wot was experiencing, perhaps ending things would be a mercy. Closing her eyes and praying for Rao’s forgiveness, Kara tightened her grip and twisted, snapping the Toomian’s neck. It was all she could do not to throw up as the crowd once again roared its approval. Fighting back tears, she whispered the prayer for the dead, hoping that the Toomian’s gods would deem it acceptable in guiding him to his eternal rest. The tears started to flow freely as she spoke, despite her best efforts, and in her grief for both the Toomian himself and the piece of her own soul the choice to end his life had cost her, Kara didn’t notice the figure approaching her position. Not until a pair of pale orange hands pulled her away from the corpse and drove a knife into her gut. Kara collapsed, and the last thing she saw as consciousness faded was Maggie vaulting the crowd barrier and tackling her mystery assailant….

_A knocking sound jolted Kara from sleep, and she looked around to find herself in a familiar place. Her loft. But that was wrong…wasn’t it? She’d been away from Earth for months, if not longer. Automatically putting on the glasses that were laying on the nightstand next to her bed, Kara got up and moved to the front door, opening it to reveal a strange blue man with white hair and three glowing dots on his forehead. A Coluan. “What the hell do you want?” she growled, glaring at the intruder._

_“No need to be defensive,” the stranger soothed, raising his hands in seeming surrender. “I assure you, I am nothing like the rest of my family. My only objective is to help you.”_

_Kara frowned, stepping aside to let him in. “Help me how? I don’t understand how I’m even here when the last thing I remember is being on War World.”_

_“The explanation is quite simple, really. We are in your mind. Your loft is a manifestation of the place you feel the safest. And while we are in here, your body is recovering from the injuries you sustained in your last fight. Point of fact…you are – at this moment – technically dead.”_

_“I’m dead?”_

_“_ Technically _dead,” the Coluan emphasized. “The being who ‘assaulted’ you after your fight is an ally, and his knife was coated with a drug designed to slow your heartbeat to the point where it was nearly imperceptible. Once your friend Zara declared you dead, she was able to smuggle your ‘body’ to our current location. And since your heartbeat was slow enough to cause your tracking implant to shut down – as it was designed to do at the moment the host body died – Zara was able to remove it without triggering the neurotoxin. The bad news is that we could not extricate the nanites from your system as well. There are thousands of them in your bloodstream, and the design is too complex for even my considerable hacking skills, loathe as I am to admit it. Without the implant giving them guidance, they have reverted to their default setting, which – in your case – prevents your cells from metabolizing yellow sunlight. Most likely a failsafe in case you were ever able to escape, as we have now helped you to do. The only solution for getting rid of them is to completely cleanse your blood.”_

_“Like dialysis?”_

_“That is an accurate description, yes. Unfortunately, my current comrades lack the resources for such an undertaking. I was lucky to be able to scrape together the components for the crude healing pod you are currently in, since – as I already explained – we could not use yellow solar energy to help you heal yourself. The mind link was far easier to create.”_

_“Right,” Kara sighed, rubbing the back of her neck as she looked around. The loft was mostly as she remembered, but it appeared that parts of it had been walled off or boarded up. “Why do things look so strange in here? It wasn’t like this the last time I saw it.”_

_“I believe that the physical barriers you see are manifestations of the blocks R’Kard inserted into your memories. In theory, if you can tear them down….”_

_“I can get my memories back!” Not waiting for the strange man to respond, Kara started ripping out the boards blocking off parts of the room and punching through the new walls once the boards were gone. Luckily, it seemed that she had her powers in this version of her loft. Behind the new barriers were pictures, posters, Kryptonian sunstones…. The more barriers she removed; the more memories came flooding back. A fall when she was 5 that left a small scar on her forehead. Hours spent observing her father, Zor-El, in his laboratory. Aunt Astra teaching her about the stars. Late night chats with her mother, Alura, after the elder Kryptonian would come home from a long day at the Citadel. The way Alura always made time for her, no matter how busy her work kept her. Her Aunt Lara and Uncle Jor-El telling her that she was getting a little cousin. Helping her aunt and uncle care for baby Kal-El. The terrible shaking as Krypton started to come apart. Her parents telling her they loved her before putting her in a pod bound for the unknown. Decades in the timeless void of the Phantom Zone. Seeing her baby cousin as a grown man when she finally reached Earth. Meeting the Danvers’ for the first time. Meeting Alex, her sister and best friend…._

Kara’s eyes flew open and she gasped, sucking precious air back into her lungs. It took several long moments to get her breathing back under control. “I remember everything,” she finally managed, sitting up on whatever she’d been laid out on. There was an empty pod nearby, and her clothes felt like they were soaked. Probably from whatever liquid she'd been suspended in, assuming this pod was similar to the ones they'd used on Krypton. But that was hardly her main concern. All the early memories that R’Kard had blocked off were back. She was Kara Zor-El, the last true heir to Krypton’s legacy. And she was also Kara Danvers of Earth, and its Champion, Supergirl. No one was going to take that from her ever again. Not as long as she drew breath.

“Thank Rao!” a female voice breathed nearby. Kara barely had time to prepare before arms wrapped around her upper body, squeezing hard enough to hamper her breathing a bit.

“Zara?”

The Daxamite nodded, backing off some. “When Dox told me about his plan for getting you out, I thought he was insane. Especially the part about bringing you so close to death. Thank Rao his antidote actually worked.” As she spoke, Zara tossed an injection device to the floor.

“Yes,” Kara nodded. “Thank Rao. But who’s Dox?”

At that moment, the strange Coluan she’d seen in her mind stepped into view, sheepishly waving a hand. “You may address me as such,” he informed Kara. “I am a 12th-Level Intellect and was once part of a group composed of beings from various worlds across the known galaxies. We were separated while traveling, and my shuttle was intercepted by slavers. I was taken here against my will and sold to someone who wanted to use my abilities to predict the odds in the Arena and make him wealthy. Thankfully, my so-called Master soon proved my intellectual inferior and I was able to escape. I found this location and – once I got the computer system back up and running – started seeking out like-minded individuals who were also willing to stand up to the local authorities. Obviously, Zara was one of those individuals. But her primary concern was for your well-being, so I came up with a means of extricating you from R’Kard’s grasp and calculated the optimum time to carry it out.”

“That last fight in the Underworld.”

“Yes.”

Kara sighed, running a hand down her face. “Couldn’t you have done it before that last match? Before I had to….” She trailed off, fighting back tears. Killing Varrik Wot…snapping his neck with her own hands…went against everything she believed. Telling herself that it was a mercy was small comfort. It didn’t change the fact that she’d broken her code in doing so. 

“Your grief is…understandable. But as I said, I carefully calculated the odds of success before we embarked upon this course of action. And based on those calculations, the odds of an effective rescue operation decreased significantly the sooner we intervened. I sincerely apologize if the decision to wait proved distressful to you in any way, but failure was simply not an option.”

“But why me?” Kara asked, shifting so her feet dangled off what she now recognized as a crude sort of medical exam table. “I’m hardly the only one R’Kard has made to suffer. Why go to all this trouble for my sake?” She could understand Dox’s reasoning for the delay in intervening during the gauntlet, even if she didn’t agree, but – aside from her friendship with Zara – there was no logical explanation that she could see for why the Coluan would come up with such an elaborate plan for smuggling her to freedom. Not when there were so many others across this accursed planet in equal need. 

“I wouldn’t join the cause unless he helped you.”

Dox nodded. “That is true. But it was not my only reason. By my calculations, our Resistance will have far greater odds of success with your participation. The people need a figure they can rally around.”

“You want me to be your Mockingjay,” Kara frowned. Zara looked at her in confusion, as did Dox, before something seemed to click in the Coluan.

“Mockingjay. The third and final book in the _Hunger Games_ trilogy. A popular series in…on Earth, wherein the protagonist finds herself drawn into a rebellion against her world’s oppressive regime and is made into that rebellion’s figurehead.” He paused for a moment. “Your comparison is apt. However, unlike the titular Mockingjay, you would not merely be the leader in name. We need one in truth. I may have been able to gather people together, but I fear that the unity is only temporary. No one wants to follow a member of my infamous family anywhere, least of all into a rebellion on a planet where such movements have yet to actually triumph. But I am 98.7% certain that they _will_ follow the Last Daughter of Krypton. After all, your reputation precedes you, even this far from your adopted planet.”

“Dox is right,” Zara nodded. “I don’t know anyone who hasn’t heard about how you defeated Queen Rhea and forced her army to retreat from its attempt to invade Earth. Why do you think R’Kard wanted you? Had you gone along with his plans, he would’ve used that reputation to his advantage. You might have been made Champion instead of the human. But because you refused, he concealed your identity from the public for fear of giving other unhappy slaves even the slightest bit of hope. Which is exactly what you can help us do now.”

“How? Aren’t I supposed to be…you know…dead?”

Dox stepped a little closer to the exam table. “The fighter known as ‘Ursa the Destroyer’ is dead, and has been for more than a week now. Now since the Underworld employs extremely strict protocols to prevent the fights from being recorded and disseminated beyond its walls, the number of people who might connect her to a very much alive Kara Zor-El is limited. Of course, that will become a moot point once we finally make a move upon R’Kard and his ilk, but that is an issue for another day. So, what say you?”

“I-I don’t know….” Shaking her head, Kara moved off the table, only to stumble a bit as the room started to spin. Zara quickly caught her and helped her regain her footing.

“You have to be careful, Kara. The pod healed you, but you still need to regain your strength.” She threw a rather pointed glance at Dox before helping Kara make her way out of the room they were currently occupying. “There’s a room already set up for you. I strongly suggest you get some rest. Take time to think things over before you make any decisions.”

“Thank you,” Kara nodded, once again finding herself grateful for Zara’s friendship. She honestly wasn’t sure she’d have survived all these months of hell without it. “So where are we, anyway? Your new friend wasn’t exactly clear on that point.”

“An underground bunker in the desert beyond Mongul City.” Kara’s eyebrow shot up at the name, and Zara chuckled. “Yes, our Emperor isn’t exactly the most creative when it comes to naming things. And he’s a giant egomaniac to boot. Anyway…according to Dox, this place was once a base for the planet’s defense force, and it was abandoned generations ago after War World became known for gladiatorial combat and the Emperor determined that a standing army was no longer necessary.”

“Generations? How old is Mongul?”

Zara shrugged. “No one knows, really. He’s been here as long as anyone can remember. Supposedly, War World was once just like any other planet, but then Mongul came along and conquered it, changing the name and culture to suit his desires. But it’s all stories. There’s no one left alive to say what really happened, save for Mongul himself. And he’s not likely to correct the record that currently makes him seem almost godlike.”

“Of course not,” Kara muttered. They soon came to a small, sparsely decorated room at the opposite end of the corridor from where she’d awoken. There was only a bed, a trunk, and a small table with a single chair. But even that was a vast improvement over the cage R’Kard had kept her in. Zara helped her onto the bed, then moved to the opposite wall and tapped it, revealing some sort of viewing screen. “Does it get Netflix?” she quipped, earning a rather confused look from her companion. “Never mind….”

“Everyone’s quarters have one. The systems here are a bit dated, but Dox has done his best to update them, and the screens allow quick communication. They also let you access the base’s computer systems. Dox has made sure you have full clearance for everything. The system is voice-activated, so all you have to do is ask.” Zara paused for a moment. “Just so you know, this room is yours regardless of what you decide. Even if you agree to lead. We’ve all decided that no one should be set above anyone else.”

“Good. I don’t want special treatment.”

“I didn’t think you would. There are fresh clothes in the trunk if you’d like to change. And please…get some rest. Healer’s orders. Dox and I will be by to check on you later.”

Kara rolled her eyes a bit, but Zara didn’t seem to notice it as she left, closing the door behind her. Alone, Kara pushed herself off the bed – pausing a moment when the dizziness hit again – and moved to the trunk, pulling out the clothes Zara had mentioned. They reminded her of Alex’s DEO uniform, but it was better than the rags R’Kard had provided. Forcing back the tears that thoughts of her missing sister provoked, Kara changed as quickly as she could manage and returned to the bed. She fell asleep pretty much the second her head hit the pillow. Clearly, ‘death’ was more tiring than she would’ve guessed. Her dreams were soon filled with happier memories of her sister….

“Wake up!” The semi-familiar voice was accompanied by some light poking, and Kara soon opened her eyes to find Dox and Zara in her room. Zara was glaring at Dox, but the Coluan either didn’t notice or didn’t care.

Rubbing her eyes, Kara sat up, swinging her feet over the side of the bed. “How long was I asleep?”

“About a day,” Zara replied. “You really needed it.”

“Thanks…I think. No offense, but is there a reason you’re waking me now?”

Dox chose that moment to step forward. “We were curious as to whether or not you have come to a decision regarding our request from yesterday.”

“Right,” Kara grumbled, running a hand down her face. “Part of me wants to say yes. The idea of sticking it to R’Kard and others like him is really tempting. Almost too good to pass up."

“But you remain conflicted.”

Kara sighed. “For one, I’m worried about Maggie. The human I arrived with,” she added for Dox’s benefit. “She’s R’Kard’s Champion, and he removed her memories completely in order to try and make her his loyal servant. But – memories or no – I consider her family. I don’t want to see her get hurt.”

“I’m not sure she shares that sentiment,” Zara frowned. “She may have attempted to save you from the ‘attack’ after the fight, but I heard her talking to R’Kard about it while I was ‘attempting’ to revive you, and she made it clear that it was purely a matter of honor for her. She felt that you’d won fair and square, and the cowardly assault sullied whatever respectability the Underworld may have had. That’s all.” Zara shook her head.

Kara nodded, forcing herself not to cry over the revelation. Despite what happened, she was sure Maggie was still in there somewhere. She had to be. “You were able to get my memories back. Can’t you do the same for her?”

“I wish we could,” Dox responded. “Sincerely. But your situations are quite different. In your case, only some of the memories had been blocked off. We still had a foundation upon which to build. If you are correct, and the human’s memories of Earth are entirely out of her reach, then I am afraid that the same technique will not be successful. Only a psychic powerful enough to push through those artificial barriers could possibly retrieve those memories. Unfortunately, psychics are in rather short supply on War World. The gladiator trainers like R’Kard find them too difficult to control.”

“I might know a few, but they’re back in the Sol system. Any chance this base has some ships we can use to get out of here?”

Dox nodded. “It does, but actually leaving right now is difficult. Lord Mongul has a series of satellites surrounding this planet, all of them armed and ready to shoot down any unauthorized ships entering or leaving orbit. His own defense grid, if you will.”

Cursing in Kryptonese, Kara ran a hand through her hair. “So, we have to take down the system before we can do anything about escape.” She sighed. “Can you at least promise me that Maggie won’t get hurt?”

“We shall endeavor not to harm your friend, but if she stands against us, I can make no guarantees.” Kara dropped her gaze, not sure how to respond to that, and Dox apparently took that as an invitation to continue speaking. “What other concerns do you have about joining our rebellion?”

She stared at him for a moment, a bit shocked at the suddenness with which he’d moved on to the next topic. Frankly, he hadn’t really addressed her concerns about Maggie. But then again, Coluans weren’t exactly known for their tact. Might as well just go with it. She could always talk to Zara later, in private. “To be honest, I’m worried about my own chances for survival if I go along with your plan. If there’s any chance my sister and Lena are still alive and coming for me, can I really afford to put myself in the line of fire like that? Risk making their efforts meaningless?”

“I cannot make any guarantee that you will survive, much as I would like to. However, perhaps I can alleviate your concerns for your loved ones.” Dox made an odd sort of flicking gesture with his two fingers, moving them between his forehead and the screen on her wall. A moment later, Kara found herself looking at what appeared to be a battlefield. Soldiers with Delosian emblems on their uniforms were fighting a ragtag group of rebels, some of whom seemed to be wearing some sort of invisible armor. The rebels were behind a makeshift barricade made from mining equipment. One suddenly leapt from hiding, taking down the lead soldier, and it wasn’t long before the others followed suit. Kara watched in awe as the rebels managed to drive the soldiers back despite being outnumbered and outgunned. Once the soldiers retreated, the rebels seemed to rally around the one who’d tackled the leader. And that’s when Kara finally got a good look at them.

“Alex…” she breathed. There was no mistaking her big sister. Alex’s hair was shorn to almost nothing, she had a black patch over her right eye, and her right forearm was covered in some sort of tattoo she’d never seen before, but it was definitely her. “How did you get this?”

“I intercepted a message intended for Lord Mongul and the slave owners of this planet. I believe it was meant to be a warning. According to the accompanying text, the crew of a ship called the _Liberator_ – all of whom are believed to be fugitives from a Maaldorian prison – infiltrated a mining colony on Delos VII and led the slaves in an uprising against their masters. Once the soldiers were forced into retreat, the ship’s captain pressed the mining corporation to sell the colony to her on behalf of the slaves, who are now running it for themselves. The crew took a couple of the younger slaves with them when they left the system, and the now-displaced corporation has been spreading the word about the _Liberator_ and its apparent mission to eradicate slavery. While the odds of them completely eliminating the practice from the universe are slim, even these small successes have slavers frightened. Enough to put a bounty on that ship.”

“Rao…is the ship safe, at least? Is Lena on it?”

Dox nodded. “The ship appears to be safe, for now. Had it been destroyed, a message proclaiming that fact would certainly have made its way here. As for this…Lena, is it? The _Liberator_ ’s captain has been described as a human female with dark hair and green eyes.”

“That’s her,” Kara smiled, pleased that her sister and Lena were both safe. “But that’s even more reason to be cautious.”

“Perhaps,” Dox mused. “And yet, the humans you consider family seem to be eschewing caution in favor of risking their lives for the cause of ending slavery. Can you live with yourself if you choose not to follow that example?”

She sighed, knowing the Coluan had a point. “You’re right. But we have to be smart about this. I have no intention of making this a suicide mission.”

“Nor do we,” Zara chimed in. “So, does that mean you’re with us?”

“Absolutely. And I have a pretty good idea where we can start….”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's right, I brought Brainy into the mix! The full details of how and why he came to be there will be explored later (as in Part 3), but I've come to like the character so much since his introduction that I just had to find some way to include him. Anyway...see you next week with Lena's first chapter!


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena and the crew of the Liberator continue their anti-slavery mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for the kudos and comments. TW for discussion(s) of sex slavery, but nothing graphic. Now on to the chapter!

“I trust the amount is acceptable,” Lena asked, forcing herself not to grimace as the Jabba the Hutt-like creature across from her ran its pudgy fingers over the data pad containing the credits she’d brought. She’d traded a significant portion of her diamond stash for a more universal form of currency at the first friendly port they’d come to after escaping Takron-Galtos, and was praying that the bulk of what remained after buying the mining colony from the Delosians would suffice to purchase the freedom of the young slaves being held in the Kendrakian brothel she was currently sitting inside. Cutting a deal with the intergalactic version of a pimp was something Lena found utterly distasteful. However, their research into the brothel revealed that many of its adult ‘employees’ were there by choice, so a full-out assault was unwise. Better to utilize a more diplomatic approach and free as many of the young ones being held against their will as she could, including the ones related to their fellow inmates from Maaldoria V. 

After a rather lengthy silence, the creature slid the data pad back to her. “Your offer is quite generous. But why such interest in the younglings? I have barely had a chance to train them properly.”

“My clients have very… _particular_ …tastes,” she lied, swallowing down the bile that crept up as she spoke. Let the pimp think what it wanted about her purposes, so long as the children were released into her custody. “And the sooner I meet that demand, the greater my own profit will be.”

The creature nodded. “Very well. While I hate to give up such fresh talent, you can be assured there are plenty more where they came from. Perhaps we can do business again in the future.”

“Perhaps. My ship is docked and ready at the port. Slip 53. One of my servants will be waiting there to accept delivery. The sooner the better.” As she spoke, Lena used the data pad to initiate the credit transfer.

“Of course.” The creature waved its fat hand dismissively, and Lena took that as her cue to leave, returning the data pad to her bag and tapping her coms as she moved out of earshot. “Is the new ship ready to go?” They’d found a planet just outside the Kendrak system with a shipyard and acquired a second vessel for this exact purpose, since the _Liberator_ had become too well known. That notoriety was also why Alaric had tweaked her armor to give her the outward appearance of a blonde, blue-eyed Valerian. 

**_“Yes, Captain,”_** Shy’lo replied. The Thoronian had volunteered to remain on the ship with Kel-Van while the rest of the crew took care of business on the surface. **_“Ric is at the dock waiting, and he already has Damon and T’armek on board.”_** Lena could detect a slight twinge in Shy’lo’s voice as she spoke and once again found herself feeling guilty that they hadn’t been in time to save Sel-Os, who’d died in a ‘mining accident’ several weeks before their arrival on Delos VII. But now wasn’t the time to wallow.

“Has he had a chance to contact his government?”

**_“Yes. The Rannian Chancellor has already agreed to grant asylum to the children, at least until their families can be located.”_ **

****

“Excellent,” Lena nodded. “The sooner we can get them to safety, the better. We’ll be entering dangerous territory once we leave this system. Of course, if you want to take the Chancellor up on that offer as well….”

**_“And leave you without a medic? Don’t get me wrong. Alex is good. But she_ has _been rather erratic as of late. Speaking of which….”_**

****

Lena groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose to try and quell the headache that was coming on. “What now?”

**_“We intercepted a report about a bar brawl in the sector you’d sent her and the twins to do recon in. A one-eyed humanoid and two Sklaarians were arrested as instigators. They’re being held in a stockade just outside the city limits.”_ **

“Fuck,” she grumbled, wondering what had set Alex off this time. The former DEO agent’s temper had been on a hair-trigger ever since she’d discovered that her fiancé was currently the most celebrated gladiator on War World. And more often than not, Vita and Tavi were all too happy to come along for the ride. “Are they in imminent danger of physical harm?”

**_“Not yet. The peace officers are still questioning witnesses and victims. We should have at least a couple of hours before anything serious happens.”_ **

“Then all three of them can stay right where they are until Ric has the children safely on board the _Ark_. I won’t let their stupidity jeopardize this deal.”

**_“Understood. Kel-Van and I will continue monitoring surface communications from here. We’ll contact you if anything changes.”_ **

****

“Good. And while you’re at it, do a bit of research on how this planet’s justice system works…see if we can resolve this issue without causing an intergalactic incident.”

**_“Of course, Captain. Will you be needing your remaining credits?”_ **

****

“Send them to the data pad,” Lena nodded. “Just in case. I’ll be in touch.” Shutting off the com, Lena ducked into a nearby alcove and dropped the disguise so she could use the wrist device’s other functions. Alaric had managed to hack a backdoor into the spacedock’s security systems, allowing Lena to check the feed with the device’s holographic video display. He appeared to be alone, so she took a chance and reactivated her com, switching to the channel he was on. “How’s it going over there?”

**_“No sign of anyone yet, but Kel-Van just informed me that the credit transfer went through to the brothel’s accounts a short time ago, so I’m expecting company any minute. Damon is at the helm and ready to go as soon as you give the word.”_ **

****

Lena couldn’t help but smile a bit at that. Alaric’s son was 15, highly intelligent, and had been shadowing Kel-Van ever since they left the Delos system, clearly more interested in piloting than anything else. And Lena had been more than happy to cultivate that interest, even letting the younger Rannian pilot the ship through some of the less-dangerous regions – under Kel-Van’s close supervision, of course. She sincerely hoped that Alaric would let his son continue that training once they were back on their home world. “Glad to hear it. There might be a slight delay in our departure, though.”

**_“Let me guess…Alex and the twins.”_ **

“Got it in one. Hopefully, we won’t have to race out under fire…again.” Takron-Galtos hadn’t been their only close call – mostly due to either bounty hunters or Alex’s temper getting the better of her – and it would certainly be a refreshing change if they could manage to leave one system without some kind of incident.

**_“Let’s hope.”_** He paused for a moment, and Lena could see some activity on the opposite side of the display. **_“I think our guests might be arriving. See you soon.”_**

“Soon,” Lena echoed, shutting down the coms again to avoid spooking the stooges making the delivery. She watched as nearly a dozen terrified children of varying ages, genders and species were herded towards their ship. A few more than she’d originally intended to rescue, but she couldn’t in good conscience just leave such young beings to suffer like that. It was bad enough that the chances of completely shutting down the planet’s source of slaves were slim, even if Alex and the twins did actually get the intel they were sent for. Shaking her head, Lena returned her attention to the feed. The goons escorting the children made a show of demanding proof of Alaric’s identity, only leaving them in his care once they’d satisfied themselves that he really worked for the blonde Valerian their boss believed had made the purchase. Once said goons were gone, Alaric softened his stance, kneeling down and reassuring the children that they were safe before gently lifting the smallest into his arms and taking another by the hand so he could lead them all on board. Breathing a sigh of relief that the deal had gone so smoothly, Lena turned off the feed and checked her messages, finding one from Shy’lo confirming that the remaining credits had indeed been transferred and assuring her that – as on many worlds – bribery was an effective means of securing the release of detained prisoners. Shy’lo’s message also contained details on where their wayward comrades were being held. Details which Lena swiftly committed to memory before shutting down the messaging program and reactivating her disguise. ‘Leera Draven’ had been granted something akin to VIP status upon arriving, so finding transportation from the brothel to the stockade was almost too easy. The hovercraft driver was more than happy to follow her directives, even agreeing to wait outside the stockade once they arrived so that he could take her and her friends to their ship. Lena hoped that the peace officers would be as accommodating.

“May I help you?” a stocky, gray-skinned alien snapped as she entered the building.

“A few of my…servants…managed to get themselves arrested. I’m here to take them off your hands.”

Gray-skin frowned. “And you are…?”

“Someone the people in power here would very much like to continue doing business with.” As she spoke, Lena handed him the data pad containing her ‘credentials’ and the credits that remained after transferring a decent sum to the driver. He mulled the information over for a few moments before handing it back.

“Which prisoners are you interested in?”

“The Sklaarians and their one-eyed companion.”

“I see,” he scowled. “If they were my servants, I’d give them a sound lashing at the very least for their uncouth behavior.”

Lena nodded. “I’ll take it under advisement. So, do we have an accord?”

“We do,” Gray-skin agreed, speaking briefly to someone at the other end of his communicator while Lena transferred the credits. A few moments later, several other gray-skinned aliens emerged from what she assumed to be the holding area. The twins were walking under their own power, looking a little worse for wear, while one of the guards carried an unconscious Alex over one shoulder.

“What happened?”

“The pink skin passed out. Probably something she drank.”

“Right,” Lena grumbled. “There’s a transport waiting outside, if you don’t mind….” She gestured towards Alex, and the goon holding her nodded and proceeded to carry her out to said transport. Once they were gone, Lena turned her attention to the twins. Vita opened her mouth as if to protest, but quickly shut it again when Lena glared. “Not. One. Word.” Nodding, they trudged after the guard carrying Alex out to the transport, and Lena followed behind them a moment later, climbing into the hovercraft’s front passenger seat and giving the driver directions to the dock where the _Ark_ was waiting. A quick call to Alaric had him waiting outside for their arrival. He immediately lifted a still-unconscious Alex out of the back seat where the guard had laid her and carried her onboard, presumably to someone’s quarters where she could sleep it off. Making a mental note to have Shy’lo check her over if she hadn’t come around by the time they rendezvoused with the _Liberator_ , Lena followed them aboard, with the twins trailing behind. She was almost immediately accosted by a gaggle of children.

“You Master now?” a tiny purple-skinned girl asked, looking intimidated. Lena quickly dropped her disguise and knelt down on the girl’s level.

“You’re never going to have to call anyone ‘master’ again. I promise. We’re going to take you someplace safe until we can find your families.” The response was a sort of group hug that nearly bowled her over, further cementing in her mind that she’d done the right thing by getting them out of there, no matter what it had cost her financially. Lena returned the gesture as best she could until Alaric returned from wherever he’d taken Alex and gently guided them away. A moment later, a certain young Saurian approached. “Yes?”

“Is Miss Alex going to be okay?”

Lena nodded, pushing herself back to her feet. “She’ll be fine. Just had a little too much ‘fun’ on the surface. Is she still avoiding you?” Alex had barely said two words to the boy since his rescue, and Lena wasn’t sure if it was out of guilt or something else.

“Can I see her?” he asked, ignoring her question. Which was all the answer she needed. Smiling, Lena put a hand on his shoulder.

“Why don’t you go sit with her? In fact, I want you to stay right by her side until she wakes up and send her to see me once you’ve had a chance to ask her whatever it is you need to know. Can you do that for me?”

T’armek nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, Captain!” He ran off in the direction Alaric had taken Alex earlier, and Lena turned her attention to the helm.

“Damon, take us out of here.”

“Aye, Captain,” he nodded. “We should reach the _Liberator_ ’s coordinates within the hour.”

“Good.” The current plan was for both ships to travel together until they left the system, at which point they’d go their separate ways: the _Ark_ towards Rann and the _Liberator_ in the direction of War World. Assuming, of course, that their information on said planet was accurate. She stayed on the bridge until the ship cleared the atmosphere, then headed to the space she’d temporarily claimed as her office, gesturing for the twins to follow. Closing the door behind them, Lena took a seat and stared them down for several long moments. “Alright…I’m going to give the two of you exactly _one_ chance to explain just what the hell happened down there. And if I don’t find that explanation satisfactory, you’ll spend the rest of our journey maintaining the ship’s waste disposal systems. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Captain,” they nodded.

“So how did you three end up getting yourselves arrested?”

The twins stared at each other for a moment before Vita stepped forward. “The good news is, we were able to locate that informant and get what we needed.” She set something on the desk that resembled a flash drive. Lena pushed it aside to look at later, gesturing for Vita to continue. “Anyway…I’m not entirely sure how it got started, but Alex must have heard something she didn’t like, because the next thing we know, she’s jumping on some Phorian and trying to drive his head into the floor. Which got his friends going after her, so of course Tavi and I had to get involved as well. We weren’t going to let Alex get herself killed, regardless of who started the fight.”

Lena nodded. “I appreciate you trying to protect Alex, but actions have consequences. You’re lucky that the incident didn’t reach the ears of the people I was trying to make a deal with for the children’s freedom. As it stands, we currently have no more credits to our name. Only the diamonds I didn’t convert. So, you’d best pray that we don’t run into any other situations where a bribe will be required.” Lena sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I’ll deal with Alex’s temper when she wakes up. As for you two, when we rendezvous with the _Liberator_ , I want you to report to the armory, where you will clean and inventory _every_ item it contains. Understood?” The two nodded, though they didn’t look happy. Not that Lena was overly concerned. “Dismissed.” They left, and Lena activated the office’s computer screen so she could continue her research into War World. So far, the planet where Maggie (and more than likely Kara as well, though they’d yet to find solid proof of that) had been taken seemed to be pretty much what they’d suspected. It was known for its gladiatorial games and ruled by an apparently immortal ‘emperor.’ Lena found this ‘Mongul’s’ longevity a bit suspicious, but then again races like the Martians were rather long-lived, so she couldn’t dismiss it out of hand. But it was definitely something that warranted further research, especially since that world seemed to be built around the so-called emperor’s whims.

When they reached the _Liberator_ , Lena transferred her research to her personal computer and headed to her own office once she’d ensured that Alex was safely moved to the infirmary, with T’armek accompanying her. She set the War World research to the side, having failed to uncover anything they didn’t already know or suspect, and turned her attention to the drive Vita had handed over. According to the data, the Kendrakian brothel got its slaves from the Maaldorians and a small group of Daxamite raiders. The Maaldorian slave trade had already been dealt with, at least for the moment (as – by all accounts – they were still struggling to rebuild after what happened on Takron-Galtos), but the Daxamites were another issue. They didn’t seem connected to what remained of Daxam’s government after Rhea’s demise, and their movements were nigh-impossible to predict, so cutting off that particular pipeline might be easier said than done. She’d have to talk to Kel-Van…see if he had any insight.

“What the fuck?”

Lena glanced up from her work to see Alex stumble into the office, barely managing to keep herself upright. “You’ll have to be a bit more specific,” she deadpanned. “And you might want to sit down before you hurt yourself.”

“You had _no_ fucking right!” Alex snarled, dropping into the nearest chair.

“Again, you’re going to have to be more specific.” 

Alex glared. “You let that kid fucking ambush me!”

“You mean T’armek? Your supposed friend’s younger brother?”

“You dare question my friendship with K’orvan?”

“I do when you childishly refuse to spend any time with his surviving family,” Lena shot back. A hurt look flashed across Alex’s face and Lena sighed. “Look, I get that you’re feeling guilty over what happened, and that seeing him probably brings back everything you’re trying to move past, but T’armek is a smart kid. He has questions that only you can answer and avoiding him doesn’t help either of you. So yes, I let him ‘ambush’ you, but only because I knew you’d never talk to him otherwise and he’ll be leaving for Rann with the other children as soon as we’re out of this system.” Alex dropped her gaze, and Lena frowned. “You’re still avoiding the conversation, aren’t you?”

“Fuck you, Luthor!” Alex snarled, shooting up out of the chair. “It’s not that fucking easy!”

Lena’s eyebrow shot up, somewhat taken aback by Alex’s use of her hated surname. “I’m going to let that slide, but only because you’re clearly upset. And I have a feeling it’s not about T’armek. What exactly happened in that bar today?”

“I got into a fight, which I’m sure you already know. So just get it the fuck over with already.” She dropped back into the chair as she spoke, not even looking at Lena.

“What exactly are you expecting to happen?”

Alex shrugged. “You tell me. Will I be scrubbing conduits? Cleaning the waste disposal system? Or are you just going to lock me in the brig until we reach our next stop?”

“That depends.”

“On what?”

“On why you started the fight in the first place. Your behavior since discovering Maggie’s whereabouts has been quite erratic, and that’s putting it mildly.” Lena couldn’t help but notice the way Alex’s jaw tightened at the mere mention of her fiancé. “Did the fight have something to do with her?” Alex stubbornly turned away, giving Lena all the answer she needed. She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose again. “Damn it, Alex. I know it hurts, seeing what those bastards on War World have done to Maggie. But you can’t just go off on anyone who even mentions her.” 

“Fucking Phorian didn’t just ‘mention’ her. He was bragging about how his sister had gotten the opportunity to ‘spend some time’ with War World’s champion, and how his psychic link with his sister let him experience it all as if he were actually there. Fucker even had details…things only someone who’d been with Maggie would know. You can’t fucking expect me to let that slide.”

Another sigh. “No, I can’t. If someone talked about Kara that way, I’d probably lose my temper as well. But you still should have been smarter about it.”

“Easy for you to say. You didn’t hear him. If he’s telling the truth, it means….” Alex trailed off, shooting to her feet and kicking her chair over in frustration.

“It means Maggie hasn’t been faithful,” Lena finished. “But we don’t know for sure what’s going on. For all you know, the Phorian could have pulled those details from your own mind just to mess with you. And even if his claims _are_ true, Maggie may not have a choice. In Ancient Rome, gladiators were sometimes expected to provide certain…services…to wealthy patrons, and it could well be the same on War World. And if it _is_ her choice, she may not think she has anyone left to be faithful _to_. The Maaldorians did tell her and Kara that we were dead, after all. Regardless, you shouldn’t jump to conclusions based on one person’s bragging. That way lies madness.”

“Great,” Alex grumbled, rubbing the back of her neck and pacing, seemingly a bit steadier on her feet now. “Either she’s being forced into some sort of prostitution in addition to the fighting, or she’s trying to bury her grief at my supposed death in meaningless sex. I’m not sure which is worse. Just fucking peachy….”

“We’ll find her,” Lena reassured Alex, getting up from the desk and gently squeezing the ex-agent’s shoulder. “We’ll find them both. War World won’t know what hit it, I promise.”

“How do we even know Kara’s still alive? She’s not on any of the broadcasts we’ve intercepted, and I can’t imagine she’d let herself be used like that anyway. Of course, I would’ve said the same thing about Maggie before seeing her in that armor….” Alex shook her head, shrugging off Lena’s attempt at comfort. “War World looked like it had a red sun, which means Kara’s powerless there. If they aren’t forcing her to fight, then they probably killed her and tossed her body away like garbage. My baby sister….” She broke down sobbing, and Lena quickly pulled her into a hug.

“Don’t think like that, Alex. You’d know it if she was dead. Just because we haven’t seen her, that doesn’t mean she’s gone. Maybe they’re keeping her hidden to avoid pissing off anyone with ties to the House of El that could cause them trouble. Or they could be using her as leverage to force Maggie to fight. We won’t know until we get there, and – as I said – jumping to conclusions will just make you crazy. Let’s focus on what we know and keep moving forward, okay?” She felt Alex nod against her shoulder. “Good. Now…we know where Maggie is and have been able to see for ourselves that she’s still in one piece. Based on the records we have from Takron-Galtos, it stands to reason that Kara is there somewhere as well. So, it’s just a matter of figuring out how to rescue them.”

“You’re right,” Alex conceded, stepping back a pace and wiping at her good eye. “If anyone can pull this off, it’s—”. The ship suddenly lurched and sent them both tumbling to the floor, with Lena ending up on top of Alex. “The fuck…?” It lurched again before either of them could get back to their feet. Clearly, this wasn’t turbulence.

Lena managed to use her desk to pull herself up before the ship was rocked for a third time. “Jana, what’s going on?”

**_“It appears we are under attack, Captain.”_ **

“Thanks for stating the fucking obvious,” Alex muttered, bracing herself against the nearby wall as the ship lurched yet again.

Lena shook her head, choosing to ignore Alex’s statement – accurate as it might be – and focus on the situation at hand. “Any idea who’s attacking?”

**_“Our assailant appears to be on some sort of flying motorbike.”_** Lena shared a confused look with Alex, who frowned.

“What species is the rider?” the ex-agent asked before Lena could even think to voice the question.

**_“Czarnian.”_ **

“Fuck me….”

It was Lena’s turn to frown. “Care to share with the rest of the class?”

“There’s only one Czarnian left in existence – mainly because he got rid of the rest of them himself. A bounty hunter named Lobo. If he’s on our trail, we’re fucked.”

“Surely you exagg—”. The ship lurched again, cutting off Lena’s response. Alex shook her head.

“There’s a reason why DEO agents were under strict orders never to engage with him when and if he dropped in on Earth.” She pushed herself back to her feet. “Jana, damage report!”

**_“Shields are holding, Commander, but the power levels are starting to drop with each successive hit.”_ **

“Fuck,” Alex grumbled, looking at Lena. “Battle stations?”

“Do it. I’ll join you in a moment.” Alex – now completely sober – sprinted out of the office, presumably to rally the rest of the crew. Lena activated her coms and connected herself to Alaric.

**_“Captain?”_ **

“Change of plans.”

**_“You want me to get the kids and leave now.”_ **

Lena nodded, even though he couldn’t see. “As fast as you can. We’ll keep this creep occupied while you get them to safety. Radio silence until you’re back on Rann.”

**_“Understood. And I’ll change the transponder codes every sector. You might want to consider doing so yourself.”_ **

“I’ll take it under advisement. But for now, we need to be visible…keep the threats off your back.”

**_“Thank you,”_** he replied solemnly. **_“It’s been an honor, Lena. Stay safe.”_**

****

“You too, Ric. And the honor is mine. Let us know when the _Ark_ is out of danger.”

**_“Of course. Talk to you then.”_** The coms cut off and Lena made her way to the bridge, sending up a silent prayer for the safe journey of the _Ark_ and its occupants. Alex was already in full command-mode. Kel-Van seemed to be doing his best to evade their assailant, while the twins manned the tactical stations and Shy’lo had temporarily abandoned the med-bay to run what Lena had dubbed the ‘science’ station (which they used to analyze sensor data, redundant as it might be with Jana handling most of it internally). She noticed an array of weapons piled on the table in the side-room they used for crew meetings. Vita and Tavi must have brought them from the armory, just in case. Good thinking. Lena moved to the still-unoccupied captain’s chair (Alex preferred to stand and pace while giving orders) and sat down.

“What’s our status?”

Kel-Van turned and glanced at her briefly over his shoulder before returning his full attention to the helm. “I can’t seem to shake this asshole, no matter what I try.” The ship lurched as he tried a particularly sharp maneuver and Lena quickly strapped herself into the seat for safety.

“We’re throwing everything we have at him and it’s not even making a dent,” Vita chimed in.

Alex frowned. “It’s because the prick is practically fucking indestructible. What part of ‘we’re fucked’ don’t you guys get?”

“Enough with the pessimism, Alex.” Lena turned her attention to the view screen. “Jana, can we get a visual?”

**_“One moment, Captain.”_** There was a pause, then the screen changed from empty space to a view of a high-tech craft resembling a motorcycle, with a pale-skinned, red-eyed, wild-haired, over-muscled biker straddling the seat. He didn’t appear to be using any sort of breathing apparatus, lending credence to Alex’s theory about his indestructibility. As she watched, he fired off another shot, rocking the ship yet again. Vita’s response hit him dead on but only knocked him backwards slightly.

“Does he have any sort of communicator?”

**_“I’m picking up on a signal. Shall I attempt to connect?”_ **

“Do it.”

**_“Done.”_ **

Nodding, Lena drew in a breath, praying that diplomacy would work once again. “Bounty Hunter. This is Captain Luthor of the _Liberator_. If you would cease firing for a moment, perhaps we can come to an equitable arrangement that benefits both of us.”

**_“The Main Man is getting paid a lotta dough for youse freaks. Surrender now, and maybe I’ll let ya keep breathing. You, and your little pals in the other ship when I catch up to it.”_** The coms cut out and he fired again. Clearly, this ‘Lobo’ was beyond reason.

“Jana, what’s the status of the _Ark_?”

**_“It appears to be near the edge of this sector. The bounty hunter is still focused on us for the moment, but he’s seen the direction it went.”_ **

“Then let’s keep him focused. Vita, Tavi – keep firing. I know it’s not doing much, but the more we piss him off, the less likely it is he’ll change course and go after our friends. Kel-Van, on my signal I want you to take us out of here at top speed, jumping to FTL once we’re sure he’s following us.”

“Where to, Captain?”

“Anywhere, as long as it’s the opposite direction from Rann. I want as much distance between us and the _Ark_ as possible.”

“Understood.”

Lena waited a few moments. The viewscreen still showed Lobo, who seemed to be increasingly irate the more the twins bombarded him with laser blasts and torpedoes. Being uncomfortably familiar with insanity and obsession, it was easy for her to spot when their assailant went from simple mercenary to Ahab with the whale. “Now!” she ordered. Immediately, Lobo disappeared from screen and the stars started to streak past, turning into little more than blurs as they picked up speed. “Jana, is Lobo pursuing us?”

**_“Affirmative, Captain.”_ **

“Good. Take us to FTL, Kel-Van.”

“You got it, Captain.” The ship lurched forward as the FTL drive activated, and Lena found herself thanking whatever deities might be listening for the inertial dampeners that kept them from being ripped apart by the astronomical g-forces they’d otherwise be experiencing. The scientific part of her brain was utterly fascinated by the very concept of moving faster than the speed of light, and in what little spare time she had she was already working on a way to replicate it with the resources available back on Earth. But the rest of her couldn’t help but be somewhat terrified each time they activated the drive. The alien members of the crew – who’d no doubt been using such technology for most of their lives – were completely nonplussed, and Lena always did her best to act just as unconcerned, though that never stopped her from ensuring that the safety harness on her chair was properly done up. She glanced over at Alex, wryly noting that her second-in-command had finally stopped pacing and followed Lena’s example with the harness.

“Jana, track Lobo and let us know the moment he breaks off pursuit.”

**_“Yes, Cap—”_**. An alarm started blaring before Jana could finish, the accompanying lights bathing the bridge in red.

“What’s going on?”

**_“It appears we have an intruder on board.”_ **

“What the fuck…?” Alex growled, unlatching her restraints and standing up. “How could he get on board at this speed?”

**_“Unknown.”_ **

“Well, however he pulled it off, it’s the last fucking mistake he’ll ever make.” Before Lena could protest, Alex stalked over to where the weapons were and started grabbing some of the nastier options. “Tavi, with me. Vita, stay here and protect the bridge. If this fucker gets past us, you might just be the only thing standing between him and the rest of the crew.”

“Alex…no…”

Ignoring Lena, Alex finished arming herself, as did the twins. “If I don’t make it back, tell Kara and Maggie I’m sorry.” Without another word, Alex stormed off the bridge, Tavi following close behind after a brief exchange with her sister in their own language. Lena was tempted to go after them, but the rational part of her brain told her that with Alex already out there, putting herself at risk as well could potentially leave Kara and Maggie stranded on War World permanently. And that wasn’t a chance she wanted to take. Closing her eyes, Lena prayed to every saint she could think of that Alex and Tavi would get out of this in one piece.

A sudden jolt threw Lena against her seat restraints with bruising force. “What’s happening?”

“We’ve dropped out of FTL!” Kel-Van responded. “And I can’t seem to get the thrusters working!”

“Jana?” No answer. “Jana! Report!” Nothing. Lena turned to Shy’lo. “Check the sensors!”

“There’s a problem in engineering.”

“What kind of problem?”

“Hard to say for sure,” Shy’lo frowned, “but it looks like we’ve lost all of our propulsion drives.”

“Fuck! Kel-Van, can you land us somewhere?”

“There’s a large asteroid straight ahead, and I can see some sort of settlement on the surface. I’ll try to land us there. It’s going to be rough, though.”

“I’ll take it. Just try not to damage the ship too badly.”

“Yes, Captain.” As he spoke, they closed in on the asteroid, and the still-functioning viewscreen showed an advanced-looking city beneath some kind of dome on the asteroid’s surface, just as Kel-Van said. There was something oddly familiar about the architecture, from what she could see, but that was an issue for later. Somehow, the ship’s steering was still working, and Kel-Van was able to maneuver towards an unpopulated area. Something latched onto them as they approached the dome. “We’re caught in some kind of tractor beam.”

“Can we get loose?”

“Negative. And it’s pulling us in fast.”

“Brace yourselves!” The sound of crunching metal was almost deafening as they hit the surface hard. Thankfully, it wasn’t nose-first, though she wasn’t sure if that was down to Kel-Van’s steering or if the tractor beam had set them down that way. It still took a few moments for her to recover her wits from the jolt. “Is everyone alright?” she asked, once her ears stopped ringing and she could see straight. As soon as her crew affirmed that they were fine, Lena undid her restraints and stood up. “We need to find Alex and Tavi. Arm yourselves. Shy’lo, stop by the med bay and grab your kit. I have a feeling we’re going to need it.”

“Of course,” the Thoronian nodded. “Where should I meet you?”

“Given the circumstances, I’d say that engineering is our best bet. Just be careful.”

“You too.” Once they all had weapons, Vita and Kel-Van pried open the door and they all headed towards engineering, with Shy’lo breaking off near the med-bay to retrieve her kit as ordered. The path there was a mess, and from the looks of things it wasn’t all down to the crash landing. Not with the numerous human-sized dents in the walls. Alex had most likely activated the strength enhancers in her armor in order to even the playing field with Lobo, and this was undoubtedly the result. Lena just prayed that the armor had done its job in protecting her as well.

“Rao above,” Kel-Van gasped as they pushed aside what was left of the engineering bay doors. The bay itself was an unholy mess. Engine parts were everywhere. Not to mention blood in multiple colors.

“This can’t be good.”

“No shit, Vita,” Lena grumbled, activating her coms. “Shy’lo, we’re definitely going to need that med kit.”

**_“On my way.”_ **

Bracing herself, Lena – her pistol at the ready – started picking her way through the wreckage. Kel-Van and Vita split off in other directions to widen the search. As she neared where the FTL drive had been housed, Lena caught sight of unnaturally pale skin sticking out from beneath some machine parts. Lobo. Activating her own armor and its strength enhancers, she shoved the parts aside and found the bounty hunter without a head. Oddly enough, he still seemed to be breathing. The head was several feet away, and Lena kicked it even farther off, just to be sure he was down for the count – at least for the moment. “Guess you really are indestructible,” she muttered. Pushing the machine parts back over him to further compound the inconvenience, Lena resumed her search for Alex and Tavi. Lobo’s blood had left a trail and she followed it to a sword she remembered seeing in the weapons pile in the conference room. “Alex!” No response. Swearing under her breath in every language she knew, Lena started tossing machine parts aside until she finally spotted a familiar tattoo. And the arm wasn’t moving. “ALEX!” Her movements becoming frantic, Lena pulled more debris away until she’d uncovered Alex’s upper body, grimly noting that the wrist device that controlled her armor was smashed beyond repair. The ex-agent was unconscious, and Lena couldn’t tell if she was even breathing. Even more concerning was the fact that her left arm seemed to be pinned beneath a particularly heavy piece of the engine. Instinctively, Lena grabbed onto it, intent on freeing the trapped limb.

“Don’t.” She turned to see Shy’lo behind her. “If you push that off now, she’ll bleed out.”

“Is she alive?”

Shy’lo nodded. “Her vitals are weak, but for the moment they’re steady. We just need to be extra careful about getting her loose. She’ll need a tourniquet first.”

“Do it,” Lena ordered. “What about Tavi?”

“They found her at the other end of the engineering bay. She didn’t make it. Looks like Lobo ripped her throat out.”

“Fuck….” Before either of them could comment further, heavy footsteps approached. Lena turned to see a contingent of human-looking aliens in her engineering bay, at least half of whom were armed. She tossed her pistol aside and raised her hands. “We don’t mean anyone harm,” Lena assured the strangers. “We were attacked and ended up crashing here. One of my crew is dead and another is badly hurt. If there’s any way you could assist, we’d be most grateful.”

At that, one of the aliens stepped forward. A brown-haired woman in blue robes. “I apologize for the part our defense systems played in this catastrophe. Of course we’ll help.” She gestured for the armed aliens to lower their weapons, and they immediately complied. Clearly, this woman was someone of high rank. “Where are you from?”

“My crew is from across the galaxies,” Lena said as she stood up, trusting Shy’lo to continue caring for Alex while she dealt with their hosts. “Our medic is Thoronian, our pilot is from Daxam, the surviving member of my security team is Sklarian, and myself and my second-in-command – the one who’s been gravely wounded – are from Earth. Except for our pilot – who came to us as an ally to aid our escape – we were all taken by the Maaldorians and thrown into one of their prisons while our loved ones were sold as slaves. Since escaping, we’ve been working to free our families and have been chased by a number of bounty hunters because of it. Our former engineer took the children we freed back to his home planet of Rann when the latest bounty hunter attacked. Said bounty hunter is over there,” she informed them, gesturing to where she’d left Lobo. “He’s down for the moment, but seeing as Lobo appears to be virtually indestructible, I doubt he’ll stay that way for long.”

The woman nodded. “We’re familiar with this Lobo. Don’t worry…we know how to contain him.” She gestured again to the soldiers, who moved to take possession of Lobo (and his head). “I’ll send for a medical team right away to help your friend. But first, may I have your names?”

“Lena Luthor. The medic is Shy’lo, the pilot is Kel-Van, Vita is our security officer, and my wounded second is Alex Danvers. And you are…?”

Smiling, the woman moved forward, allowing Lena to catch a glimpse of an achingly familiar crest on the front of her robes. “Alura Zor-El. Welcome to Argo City.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Lena and crew have stumbled across the last remnants of Krypton. But will Alex survive her injuries? Find out next Saturday!


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the crash.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos and comments so far. Glad everyone is enjoying this. Now on to the chapter!

_Alex slowly opened her eyes (both of them!) to the familiar sight of her childhood bedroom in Midvale. Which was impossible. She hadn’t been anywhere near Earth for at least the better part of a year. And yet, it was all there, right down to her dad’s old leather jacket tossed haphazardly across the back of her desk chair. Rising from the bed, Alex made her way over to said jacket, but before her hand could make contact there was a loud noise from downstairs. Instinctively, the former DEO agent rushed towards it, biting back a gasp when she spotted the source in the kitchen._

_“K’orvan?”_

_The Saurian’s scaly green face lit up in a grin that showed off every one of his very sharp teeth. He was wearing jeans and a hoodie, and looked to be in the middle of cleaning up a broken coffee mug. “Sorry,” he shrugged. “I thought you might want some…coffee, is it? Though how you pink-skins can enjoy drinking something so bitter is beyond me.”_

_“It’s an acquired taste,” Alex conceded, moving around the broken glass and sitting at the table. “How are you here, K’orvan? For that matter, how am_ I _here?”_

_K’orvan sighed, abandoning the broken mug and taking the seat across from Alex. “I’m sure your brilliant mind has already worked out that this isn’t actually Midvale.”_   
  


_“No shit. That doesn’t answer my question, though.”_

_“Right,” he nodded. “What’s the last you remember?”_

_It was Alex’s turn to sigh as she ran a hand over her closely cropped hair (a style she’d elected to maintain for practical reasons). “Lobo somehow managed to board our ship while the FTL drive was engaged. I took Tavi with me while Vita protected the rest of the crew on the bridge. We found Lobo lurking in the corridor near the med bay. Fucker’s strong, so I turned on my armor with the strength enhancers to even the odds. Between the two of us, Tavi and I managed to beat him back to engineering, which is where everything went wrong. He managed to fire off his weapon close enough to tear a hole in Tavi’s throat. I fired off my own weapon, but the blast did almost nothing. So, I took my sword and cut off his head…not that it helped. Fucker still managed to smash the device controlling my armor and throw me into the propulsion drive. Pretty sure I felt my spine shatter on impact. I somehow managed to crank up the energy levels on my weapon and blast him back into the FTL drive. For several long moments, I thought the worst was over. That I was going to make it once the others made their way back to engineering. But then there was a sharp jolt and I blacked out as the remains of the propulsion drive fell on me.” Alex shook her head. “I’m dead, aren’t I?”_

_“Your condition is critical, but you’re not dead…not yet, anyway. This space is a sort of limbo. A place between life and death.”_

_“And that’s how you’re here,” Alex finished. “God…you haven’t been trapped here all this time, have you?”_

_K’orvan shook his head. “No. I’ve long since been reunited with my parents in our version of paradise. But the gods have allowed me to come here and see you through this.”_

_“Through what? I don’t understand. How do I know this isn’t all in my head?”_

_“Of course it’s in your head,” K’orvan smirked. “But why should that mean it’s not real?”_

_“Paraphrasing Dumbledore doesn’t answer my question.”_

_He nodded. “Give me your hand.” As he spoke, K’orvan reached towards Alex, who somewhat reluctantly complied. The moment her skin made contact with his scales, Alex found herself reliving that fight, but through K’orvan’s eyes. Feeling every blow she’d landed. Seeing an almost demonic vision of herself, courtesy of the drugs K’orvan had been given. The blade slid across her throat, ending the battle, and Alex was jolted back to the present._

_“My God,” she gasped. “How can you even stand to look at me? I’m a monster. Maybe I’m better off here….”_

_K’orvan squeezed her hand. “No, Alex. The Maaldorians are the monsters, not you. It wasn’t your fault.”_

_“I killed you.”_

_“Only because they drugged you and forced your hand.” He sighed, releasing his grip. “Tell me…would you have held it against me had the fight gone the other way?”_

_“Of course not.”_

_“Exactly,” he smiled. “And had I won, I’d have made sure your sister and mate were okay, just as you’ve done for my brother. How is T’armek, anyway?”_

_She shrugged. “Fine, I guess. We got him out of the mine the Maaldorians had sold him to, and when Lobo attacked, we sent him and the other children we’d rescued to Rann with Ric. The Chancellor has promised them asylum until their families can be located.”_

_“I see,” K’orvan sighed, running a hand across his scaly head. “I’m glad he’s safe, but T’armek doesn’t have any family left. Our parents were killed by the primates who conquered our planet. He and I just barely managed to escape.”_

_“I’m sorry. But I have a feeling Ric is going to make sure he’s taken care of, one way or another.” She shook her head. “I wish I could say more, but the truth is I’ve been avoiding the kid. Seeing him reminds me too much of my failure.”_

_“You didn’t fail, Alex. The Maaldorians put you in an impossible situation.”_

_“Still feels like a failure. But as soon as we’re able to contact Ric again, I promise I’ll talk to T’armek. Make sure he knows you were thinking of him the whole time we were stuck in that shithole. That you didn’t abandon him.”_

_“I’d appreciate that,” K’orvan nodded. “So, I guess that means you’re going back.”_

_“What choice do I have?”_

_“There’s always a choice, Alex. That’s the whole point of you coming to this waystation instead of crossing right over. Believe it or not, you have earned your rest if you want it. You can go back upstairs and sleep, allowing yourself to enter whichever afterlife you believe in (if any). Or you can walk out the front door and return to the land of the living. It’s entirely up to you. I’m just here to help you sort out your unfinished business before you make that decision.”_

_Nodding, Alex stood up and started to pace, rubbing the back of her neck as she moved. “So why does this place look like my childhood home, anyway?”_

_“It’s the place your mind feels most comfortable, I suppose. I must say, it’s a lot nicer than what I grew up with. Makes me wish I’d brought T’armek to Earth instead of aimlessly wandering the known galaxies in the vain hope of finding other refugees from our world.”_

_“I think you’d have liked it there,” she smiled, reclaiming her seat. “It isn’t perfect, and there are some close-minded people who don’t like anyone not from their planet, but overall it’s a great place.” A moment later, Alex sighed, dropping her gaze after briefly meeting K’orvan’s eyes. “I’m so sorry you never had the chance to see it, K’orvan. If I’d only been stronger…better able to resist those fucking drugs….”_

_“I told you, Alex,” the Saurian reassured her, taking her hand once more. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. The Maaldorians are the only ones to blame. But if it’s forgiveness you need, you’ve had it since the moment your blade touched my throat. And at any rate,_ I’m _sorry for leaving you with only one eye.”_

_“I’ve never held that against you. It sucks, but I can live with it. Hell, it’s probably the least I deserve.”_

_“Alex….”_

_Alex raised her hands in mock-surrender. “I know, I know…not my fault. Maybe if I keep telling myself that, someday I’ll actually believe it.”_

_“You’re a good person, Alex Danvers,” K’orvan smiled, getting up and wrapping his arms around her much smaller frame. “Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise. That includes yourself.”_

_Alex nodded, leaning into the embrace and allowing herself to be comforted by her friend. She still wasn’t entirely certain it was real, but for the moment it didn’t really matter. Then the peace was broken by an odd noise from outside. Curious, Alex got up from the table and opened a window. **“…entirely unacceptable!”** a familiar voice shouted from someplace she couldn’t see. Lena. **“Alexandra Caroline Danvers, if you die on me, I swear to whatever god you may or may not believe in that I’ll find a way to resurrect you just so I can kick your ass!”**_

_K’orvan arched a brow ridge at the declaration and Alex just rolled her eyes. “Fucking drama queen,” she muttered, shaking her head. “I guess that’s my cue. Knowing Lee, she_ would _find a way to make good on that threat if I did take the upstairs option.”_

_“Probably,” he agreed, reaching out and gently squeezing her shoulder. “Don’t worry about me, Alex. I’m with my family again. I’ll be fine. But if you’re going back, I want you to promise that you’ll stop beating yourself up over what happened in Omega Sector. Focus on finding the missing members of_ your _family.”_

_“I’ll try.”_

_“I guess that’s the best I’m going to get.” He pulled her in for one more hug, which she eagerly returned. “You take care of yourself, Alex. And give Lena my regards.”_

_“I will,” she nodded. “I guess this is goodbye, then.”_

_K’orvan shook his head. “Not goodbye. Just…until we meet again.”_

_“Until we meet again,” Alex repeated. Then, with one last look at the strange sight of her Saurian friend standing in her childhood home like he’d always been there, she made her way to the front door and pulled it open…._

Alex’s good eye snapped open, but everything around her was blurry. It took a moment to realize that she was immersed in some kind of liquid. Memories of Rick Malverne and his tank surged to the forefront of her mind, at which point she couldn’t stop herself from panicking. Instinctively, Alex tried to do something…anything…to free herself, but she was somehow pinned in place. Which only made the panic worse. She could hear muffled voices outside. Moments later, something flooded into her veins and the darkness took her once more….

The next time Alex woke, she was staring up at a ceiling that was way-too-white. Almost blinding. She was laying on a bed this time, with the covers pulled all the way up to her chest and covering her arms. And said arms were again pinned down. There was some kind of mask over her mouth as well. A hand touched her shoulder, and Alex turned her head to find Lena sitting next to her. “Hey, you,” the former CEO smiled. “Don’t try to speak. The impact with the propulsion drive broke several ribs and caused them to puncture your lungs. It’s truly a miracle you held on as long as you did. The healing pod you were in did most of the repair work, but your lungs still need to get a bit stronger before you can breathe on your own again. That’s what the mask is for.” Alex nodded in understanding, then glanced down at the rest of her body. “Your back is going to be fine,” Lena assured her. “Our hosts have medical technology at least a century beyond anything even the sharpest minds on our own planet could conceive. While you were in the pod, they used highly advanced nanotechnology to reconnect the damaged nerves. Though the tech is going to have to stay in place more or less permanently, as I understand it. Meaning you’ll have a hell of a time getting through airport security after we get back to Earth. But it’s a small price to pay, I suppose. Without this tech, you’d be a paraplegic at the very least.” Lena sighed, running a hand down her face. “What were you thinking, Alex? We could have shot Lobo out of the airlock or something, instead of you and Tavi putting yourselves in the line of fire.” Another sigh. “I’m so tempted to yell at you right now. But it’s hardly a fair fight if you can’t even breathe without help. Besides, at least some of the damage was done by the crash, not Lobo, so it’s not entirely down to your stupidity. Our hosts and their defensive system have to shoulder at least some of the blame…probably why they’re so eager to help.” Lena stood up, patting Alex’s shoulder. “We have more to discuss, but it can wait until you’re stronger. Get some rest, okay?” She nodded at someone Alex couldn’t see, and in moments she could feel sedatives coursing through her system yet again….

When Alex woke up the third time, the first thing she noticed was that the mask was gone. However, she still seemed to be restrained to the bed. “What the fuck, Lee?” she asked as soon as she saw the younger woman approach.

“Hello to you, too. If you’re asking about the restraints, they’re there for your own safety. And before you try to argue, don’t forget how well I’ve gotten to know you over the past year or so. I can’t have you jeopardizing your recovery by trying to do too much too soon.”

“Whatever,” Alex grumbled, rolling her good eye. “How long have I been here, anyway?”

“It’s been almost two weeks since the crash. The fact that you’re awake and coherent at this point says a lot about our hosts’ medical technology.”

Alex frowned, not liking the way Lena kept saying ‘hosts’ like she was hiding something. “So, where the fuck are we?”

“We’ll get to that. But first, there’s more about your condition that we need to discuss. I’m sorry for keeping anything from you, but I had to be sure you were recovered enough to handle the shock.” Not giving Alex a chance to respond, Lena pulled back the sheets on the left side of the bed. For a moment, the ex-agent wasn’t sure she even wanted to look. But she had to know. Daring a glance down, Alex bit back a scream when she saw her left arm…or, more accurately, what was left of it. The limb now ended in a stump just above her elbow. She looked up at Lena, who gave her a sympathetic smile. “I’m afraid that your arm was crushed by a rather large chunk of the propulsion drive when the ship went down. And even the highly advanced medical tech here couldn’t save it. Infection set in despite their best efforts, and it was a choice between the arm or you. Obviously, I chose you.”

“Fuck me,” Alex breathed. “Why can’t I feel it?”

“The healers here induced a sort of paralysis on that arm. It was the best way to make sure you didn’t freak out before I could prepare you for the news. The drugs will wear off soon, though.”

Alex turned away from Lena, not wanting the ex-CEO to see her fighting back tears. “First my eye, now this? You might as well leave me here…wherever this is. What the fuck good is a one-eyed, one-armed, almost cripple?”

“Hey now…none of that,” Lena soothed, running a hand over what remained of her hair. “You’re still a badass, Alex Danvers. And the medical advancements here include extremely sophisticated prosthetics. One way or another, you _will_ be getting back on your feet and in fighting form. That’s a promise.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. How do I even know we can trust these people?”

“Because we trusted you first,” an oddly familiar voice replied. Alex sat up as far as the restraints would allow and her jaw dropped in shock.

“Alura? Alura Zor-El?” She flopped back down on the bed. “God…I’m really dead, aren’t I? K’orvan sent me through the wrong fucking door….”

Confusion flitted across Alura’s face for an instant (and Lena’s as well) before the Kryptonian stepped forward and laid a hand on Alex’s good arm. “On the contrary, Alex. I’m very much alive. My late husband had a…what did you call it, Lena?”

“A Hail Mary.”

“Yes. A ‘Hail Mary’ plan to save at least some of Krypton. But we weren’t certain enough that it would succeed to gamble our daughter’s life on it. So, we sent her to your planet to ensure her survival regardless of whether or not his plan worked. Though I thought for sure she’d died when I saw her pod get knocked off course.” Alura shook her head. “Obviously, Zor-El’s plan succeeded, but at a cost. This chunk of Krypton ended up far from our home system, and the atmosphere here caused many of the survivors to sicken and die before we found a way to cleanse it and protect ourselves. Unfortunately, my husband and Kal-El’s parents were among the casualties. We’d managed to remain undetected for many years, until your ship found its way into our orbit and our defensive systems kicked in, bringing it down. Though I believe this incident was Rao’s will.” Smiling, Alura took a seat at the foot of Alex’s bed. “Lena tells me that Kara survived, and it was your family that took her in…raised her as your own.”

Alex nodded. “Kara’s my sister. I couldn’t love her more if she was my own blood.”

“And you have my eternal gratitude for protecting and caring for her all these years when I could not.” Alura squeezed Alex’s hand. “Whatever you need, it’s yours. It’s the least I can do.”

“Getting out of this bed would be a great start.” She tried sitting up again, only to have Lena push her back down.

“I told you, you’re not going to jeopardize your recovery.”

“Who the fuck died and left you in charge?”

Lena smirked. “Pretty sure I remember you all voting me in. But if you won’t listen to me, I can always go and get Shy’lo.” Early on, Lena had given Shy’lo the authority to override herself and Alex on medical matters, and the Thoronian certainly wasn’t afraid to use it.

“Fine,” Alex grumbled, turning to Alura. “I don’t suppose you have someone who can help me with this whole arm situation?”

Alura nodded. “When the healers say you’re ready, our scientists have several options they’d be more than happy to discuss. And we can replace your eye as well, if you want. It won’t be organic, but the robotic version comes with several…upgrades…you might find useful.”

“Great. Let’s do it.”

“Of course.” The Kryptonian stood up, squeezing Alex’s hand one more time. “And you should know that we used our remaining Phantom Zone projector to send Lobo away. I doubt it will hold him forever, but by the time he finds his way out, whatever bounty set him on your path will have long been forgotten.”

“Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy,” Alex nodded. That place may have left Kara with lasting nightmares, but she couldn’t bring herself to care about what it may do to Lobo’s psyche. Not after what he’d done.

“I’m glad I could set your mind at ease. I’ll send the healers in for an evaluation now….”

It was another week before Shy’lo and the Kryptonian healers declared Alex fit to leave her bed, and even then she had to undergo rather rigorous physical therapy to get her legs back to full strength and ensure that the nanotech was working properly. Not to mention learning to use the replacement parts the remains of the Science Guild had hooked her up with. The arm was fairly intuitive, as they’d connected the controls directly to her own nervous system (aided by a neural link somehow implanted in her brain), though it had been pretty painful at first. Even now, she still got twinges when she tried doing something new. But it was better than the alternative. She’d refused the synthetic skin covering, however. After what had happened with her father, the idea of concealing that sort of tech just didn’t sit right. Just having it was disconcerting enough. But under the circumstances, Alex simply couldn’t afford to go back out there at less than full capacity. Even if it meant living with a gleaming metal arm and an eye that let her see just about everything Kara could under a yellow sun. An eye that currently gave her splitting headaches whenever she tried using the more advanced functions. The healers assured her that it was just her brain attempting to adjust to the new types of information it was receiving but knowing the reason behind the migraines hardly made them any less awful. 

Jogging along the same path she followed every day as part of her rehab, Alex allowed her mind to wander back a week or so, to when Lena had finally heard from Alaric (after tinkering with Argo’s systems so that they could send and receive communications from outside the protective dome that apparently kept the citizens safe from whatever was killing them before). One of the first things the ex-CEO had done was bring Alex a holo-projector that was apparently connected to T’armek….

_“Miss Alex?” the young Saurian had ventured, making Alex wonder if the visuals went both ways._

_“I’m here, kid. Sorry I was such a bitch before.”_

_He sighed. “It’s okay. Uncle Ric says you’ve been sad about my brother.”_

_“True,” Alex conceded, smirking a bit at Alaric’s new title. “He and I had gotten pretty close when we were in that prison, and seeing you just made me think of what happened. But that’s no excuse. I shouldn’t have avoided you. It’s just…I didn’t want you to hate me.”_

_T’armek frowned. “Why would I hate you? It’s not your fault. Uncle Ric says the Maaldorians had been forcing you guys to fight other prisoners.”_

_“That’s true. What else did he tell you?”_

_“Just that it was the fights that led to K’orvan’s death.”_

_Alex sighed. “It wasn’t just any fight, kid. The Maaldorians decided it would be fun to put the two of us against each other. I-I don’t remember much of what happened. They’d given me some kind of drug that left me in a more primal state of mind. But when it was all over, he was dead and I wasn’t. I’m sorry.” As she spoke, it was all she could do not to break down in tears in front of the boy._

_“I know,” T’armek nodded. “Like I said, not your fault. K’orvan would forgive you, and so do I.” He sighed, running a hand over his scaly head in a gesture eerily similar to his brother. “I guess you just have to work on forgiving yourself. Not easy, I know, but I have faith that you’ll find a way through this.” He paused to look over his shoulder at something she couldn’t see. “I have to go. Stay safe, Miss Alex. Your sister and your mate need you.” The feed cut, and Alex could barely keep herself from crying as a little of the weight she’d been carrying over K’orvan’s death seemed to disappear…._

A loud ping from something hitting her metal arm jolted Alex from the memories, and she looked to see a smirking Lena standing outside the hangar where their ship was undergoing repairs, not to mention some much-needed upgrades. “Throwing things to get my attention, Lee? Really? Last I checked, we weren’t two.”

“I tried calling your name, but you were zoned out.”

“Fair enough,” Alex shrugged, jogging the rest of the way to where Lena was. “So, what’s up?”

“Breena is looking for you. Something about the secret project you’ve had her working on.”

Alex nodded, making her way into the building. Breena Val-Ur was one of the engineers assigned to help with the ship repairs and was easily smarter than the rest of them combined. Not that Tel-Nar – the one ostensibly in charge – ever acknowledged that fact. He didn’t even argue when Alex had pulled the genius aside to work on something else. “What have you got for me?” she asked as she approached Breena’s workstation.

The dark-skinned Kryptonian smiled, turning to face Alex. “Admittedly, weapons aren’t exactly my forte, but I think you’ll be pleased with the results.” As she spoke, Breena lifted an item from her table and held it up for inspection. At first glance, it looked identical to the arm she was already using. But that was intentional.

“Care to give me a hand?” Breena’s eyebrow shot up, and Alex chuckled. “Sorry…bad joke.” Alex twisted her arm off the base (which was permanently attached to the stump) and set it aside as Breena set the new one in place. “So, what am I dealing with here? It feels a bit…different…from the other one.”

“I’ve been experimenting with nanotechnology…merging it with metals to create more versatile tools and the like. This is a prototype combining them with Nth metal. The metal makes the arm strong and sturdy; able to withstand even the roughest impacts. And the nanotech, once connected to the neural link, can – in theory – adjust the arm’s shape and functions to whatever you can think of. Weapons…medical tools…the possibilities are limitless.”

“In theory,” Alex pointed out, flexing her metal fingers as she stared at the new arm.

“No time like the present to test it.” Breena placed some kind of device against the side of her head where the healers had implanted the link, pulling it away again when it beeped a few moments later. “Go on…try something. Carefully,” she added, cutting her eyes towards the other engineers at work in the building. 

“Right.” Closing her eyes, Alex allowed herself to picture her favorite gun…the one she’d stolen from the Maaldorian slavers all that time ago. There was a loud blast, followed by colorful Kryptonese from Breena, and she looked to find the end of her arm glowing with that same blue energy, the hand having receded to effectively turn the rest of the limb into a rifle barrel. “Cool,” she grinned, the smile fading a bit when she saw the smoking hole in the wall behind Breena’s workspace. “Sorry.” She thought about her hand and the arm returned to normal. Flexing her fingers again, Alex turned back to Breena. “So, it can do that for just about anything?”

“Within reason.”

Alex’s eyebrow shot up. “What happened to limitless possibilities?”

“I may have exaggerated a bit. There are a lot of things you can do, of course, but the arm can’t create additional mass. You can only work with what you have. But – as you saw – it can create whatever energy or technology you need that doesn’t require additional physical materials.”

“This really _will_ come in handy. Thanks. Anything else I need to know?”

“Lena told me about the nanotech armor you guys found on the ship. I can integrate that into the arm so you won’t have to carry a separate device, though I can’t promise the tech will mesh perfectly. You may need to make some compromises to ensure everything works. But I _have_ been toying with some designs for some new armor that will use the same sort of nanotech as your arm, allowing it to better interface with both that and the tech in your eye. My design isn’t built for stealth, though. More like…intimidation.”

Alex’s eyebrow shot up at that. “Color me intrigued.” Before either of them could say anything further, Kel-Van came running into the room. 

“Commander, you have to see this!”

“I’m a little busy,” she scowled. Breena was also glaring; clearly, the animosity between Kryptonians and Daxamites hadn’t completely gone away.

“We just got a transmission from War World. And I don’t think it’s another fight.”

“Then what is it?”

Kel-Van shook his head. “I’m not sure. Only watched a few seconds to see if it might be important. I really think you need to see for yourself.”

“Fine,” Alex nodded, giving Breena an apologetic look before following the Daxamite back to their ship. The crew – plus Alura – was gathered around the main viewscreen on the bridge. Alex moved next to Lena, who was leaning against Jana’s hub. “Any idea what this is?”

“Not a clue.” Lena nodded to Kel-Van. “Play it.” Kel-Van pulled up the video, and the first image on the screen was a bunch of black-clad individuals surrounding a purple-skinned alien who’d been forced to his knees. It looked like they were in a crude fighting pit. Taking a few deep breaths to stave off the memories of her own time in such a pit, Alex made herself focus on the person at the center of the group holding some kind of fighting staff, who stepped forward and looked straight into the camera.

**_“People of War World,”_** a mechanically distorted voice began. **_“For far too long, the wealthy and connected of this planet have been allowed to abuse the power they have. Buying slaves – innocents snatched away from their families and sold off like nothing more than furniture – and forcing those slaves to fight each other purely for their own amusement. Using those fights to keep the poor and destitute too distracted to know how badly they’re being screwed over by those at the top. Bread and circuses, as they say on Earth. That system ends now. You all know of Lord Mongul’s ‘grand’ Arena. But what many of you don’t know about are places like these.”_** The speaker gestured to the room they were standing in. **_“Slaves who refuse to toe the line are dragged to such pits. Pits that are underground…often invitation only…and kept secret from the population at large. Our own camera is the first to see inside this one. Here, the ‘fighters’ are forced into bouts with no rules, which only end when one combatant dies. A clear attempt to turn innocent people into monsters. Well, as of right now, this pit – known to its patrons as ‘the Underworld’ – is closed. No one else will be sacrificed to its sands for the sake of so-called entertainment.”_** To emphasize the point, the speaker rammed their staff into purple-skin’s head, knocking him unconscious, before turning back to the camera and removing the mask to reveal their true face.

“Kara…” Alex gasped.

**_“I am Kara Zor-El. Last Daughter of Krypton, and Champion of Earth. Like so many here, I was taken from my adopted home and forced into servitude. Sent to this pit to try and turn me into something I wasn’t. But I’m free now. And this pit is only the first of many that we are going to shut down for good. Lord Mongul, this is your first and only warning. Close your Arena, or when we’re done with the pits, we’re coming for it and will shut it down the hard way.”_** Kara paused for a moment before stepping even closer to the camera. **_“Slaves of War World, it’s time to rise up and take your lives back. We can all can be free, but not by waiting for our so-called masters to do the right thing. It’s up to us. They can’t keep us all down if we don’t let them. So I implore you all to rise.”_** She gestured to the individuals standing behind her. **_“We are the Resistance. Rise up and join us.”_** The feed cut out, and everyone on the bridge was silent for several long moments.

“Kara’s alive….” Lena finally breathed.

Alex nodded, then frowned. “But for how long? She’s going to get herself killed, Lee. I’ve read the history books. Spartacus. Nat Turner. These things never end well for the side not currently in power.”

“What about the Haitian Revolution?” the ex-CEO shot back. “Slaves rose up, kicked their oppressors off the island, defeated some of the greatest armies in the world – including Napoleon’s – and founded a new nation.”

“But that’s just one successful rebellion out of dozens that failed. The odds aren’t exactly in Kara’s favor here.” Alex sighed, running her metal hand over the little hair she still had. “Jana, run an analysis on that footage. I need to know how old it is.” No response. “Jana?”

“We’re still having issues getting the AI back up and running,” Breena explained, her sudden appearance startling Alex a bit. Clearly, the Kryptonian engineer had followed her from the workshop. “Let me take a crack at that footage.” She sat down at the nearest computer console and Alex watched in awe as her fingers practically flew over the interface. “Okay…based on the information embedded in the file, I would estimate that it originated around the same time as your crash-landing here. Give or take.”

“So, it’s at least several weeks old.”

“Based on how we calculate the passage of time on Argo, yes. However, I can’t say for certain how much time may have passed on War World since then. Not without more information on the planet itself.”

“Fuck me gently with a chainsaw,” Alex muttered under her breath. Though she must have been a bit louder than intended, based on the weird looks most of their companions gave her. Lena, for her part, just smirked at the pop culture reference. Waving her non-metal hand dismissively, Alex stood up a bit straighter, clearing her throat. “Has there been any other news from that system since the footage got out?”

Breena turned her attention back to the interface and got to work. After several long moments, she shook her head. “Nothing. Not even any fight broadcasts.”

“Mongul probably doesn’t want the rest of the universe to know that his empire isn’t in complete control over their slaves,” Kel-Van chimed in. “That would be my guess, anyway.”

“So, we have no way of knowing if my sister is even still alive at this point.” It was all Alex could do not to drive a fist through any of the recently repaired bulkheads. A moment later, she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Lena behind her.

“Then we’re just going to have to go there ourselves and find out.” 

“I wouldn’t advise that,” a male voice interrupted. They turned to see Tel-Nar stroll in. “This ship is nowhere near ready to make that kind of journey.”

Alex opened her mouth to argue, but Breena beat her to it, striding over to her supposed boss. “By whose standards? Yours? Frankly, I’m surprised you understand how any of these components even work, given how little time you’ve actually spent here.”

“How dare you!” He turned to Alura. “This girl needs to learn her place, Councilor.”

“I think she understands just fine, Tel-Nar,” Alura shot back. “Breena, do you think our new friends can make it to War World safely in this ship?”

Breena nodded. “Absolutely. Sure, a few systems – like the AI – still need work, but overall there’s nothing wrong that would keep them from taking it out of here.”

“There you have it. Tel-Nar, you may go.” Alura waved her hand dismissively and Tel-Nar stormed off, muttering under his breath about some ‘child’ thinking she knows better than him.

“Thank you, Alura,” Lena smiled. “Breena, how would you like to come with us? We could certainly use someone with your skills to keep this ship going. And you’re clearly not appreciated by the more senior members of your guild. I promise, that definitely won’t be an issue here.”

“When can I start?”

“How long do you need to settle your affairs here?”

Breena went back to the console and typed out some sort of message, then turned to Lena and Alex (presumably having sent whatever she typed). “Done. Where do you need me, Captain?”

“On whatever system needs the most work.”

“Done.” Breena left the bridge and Lena turned to the rest of the crew. “Everyone else here?” There was a chorus of affirmative responses. Seemingly satisfied, Lena moved over to where Alura still stood. “Thank you for everything, Alura. We couldn’t have done this without your help.”

“Anything for my daughter’s family. But I’m coming with you. I already abandoned Kara once. I refuse to do so again.”

“Of course,” Lena nodded. “Alex, do we have quarters she can use?”

“I’m sure I can find something. Welcome aboard, Alura. Now let’s go save our girl.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Alex and Lena now know that Kara is alive and leading a slave rebellion on War World. But what's actually happening over there? Find out next week when we check back in with Maggie.


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Spartaca' gets introduced to the Resistance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos and comments so far. I know the past chapter or so may have felt a bit like filler, but I promise they're important going forward. Things are definitely about to pick up, though. On to the next chapter!

**_“….Rescue workers continue to search the wreckage for signs of the Emperor or his household staff. No one has claimed responsibility for the palace bombing yet, but there is ample evidence to suggest that the so-called Resistance is behind this cowardly att—”_ **

The news feed suddenly cut off, and out of the corner of her eye Spartaca saw Shadowcat returning the control to its usual spot on the stand next to the bed where they currently lay. “Are you okay?” her lover asked, genuine concern in her tone. 

“I’m fine. It’s just…I never imagined something like this could happen here. Sure, War World is no stranger to violence. But it’s always been confined to the Arena or the fighting pits. Not bombs going off in buildings.”

“Well, it’s not the first time the Emperor has been attacked. Just the first time someone has actually tried to blow him up. But I’m sure the Peacekeepers will get to the bottom of it soon enough.” As she spoke, Shadowcat drew Spartaca closer, pressing a gentle kiss to the crook of her neck.

The human frowned, twisting around to face her lover. “Will they?”

“Are you suggesting that they’re incompetent?”

“No. But everyone is just assuming that it was the Resistance.”

It was Shadowcat’s turn to frown. “You don’t agree?”

“I don’t know. Master R’Kard is certainly pushing that story. But it doesn’t really fit their M.O.” Confusion flitted across her lover’s face, and Spartaca sighed. “Before the bombing, no one had ever seen the Resistance use anything even remotely resembling explosives. Their raids on the fighting pits have always relied on hand to hand combat. And – more importantly – the Resistance has never killed. Ever. So why would they suddenly do so now? Especially when most of the victims would be the same sorts of innocents they claim to want to protect? It doesn’t make sense.”

“You’d best not let Master R’Kard hear you talking like that. He definitely wouldn’t approve of your theory.”

“No shit,” Spartaca shot back, propping herself up on her elbow. “I’m not saying the Resistance doesn’t need to be stopped. Their goals are admirable, to be sure, but there have to be less violent means of accomplishing them.”

With a smile, Shadowcat mirrored the smaller woman’s position. “You mean like what I’ve been doing.”

“Exactly.” Ever since Master R’Kard had granted her the freedom to leave the compound (albeit for limited amounts of time), Spartaca had spent as much of that time as she dared at Shadowcat’s place. And it was there that she learned the truth behind the rumors. The trainer had been using her earnings to fund a sort of underground, helping slaves get off-world. Gladiators rarely came through, if ever, and Shadowcat didn’t dare offer her help to any of Master R’Kard’s acquisitions, but many menial slaves, body slaves, and the like had been smuggled out without the High Council or any of the academy owners able to pinpoint how. Pretty impressive, really. “So how did you get into all of that, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“Why the curiosity all of a sudden?”

Spartaca shrugged. “We never really talk much about your past. I mean, I’d tell you about mine if I could remember any of it.”

“Fair enough. While it’s true that I was once where you are, the end of my career was somewhat less than auspicious. The gladiator I was up against in my last fight poisoned his blades to try and get an unfair advantage. A fact I only learned when I turned those blades against him, and he died after what was barely a scratch. It was a massive embarrassment for both his master and mine. They covered it all up, of course…granted me my freedom to try and save face after the botched assassination attempt. But after that, I couldn’t find work anywhere. Not for the longest time. Then Madame Var’ia, who used to run the brothel here in Mongul City, hired me as a bodyguard for her girls. In working for her, I learned that she’d been helping slaves to freedom for years. I inherited the network when she passed and have kept it going, even though working for Master R’Kard – a job I only took out of desperation, as the new owner of the brothel decided to clean house and get rid of the old help – has made it considerably more difficult. If these rebels had only reached out to me, perhaps I could have helped them find another way.”

“Maybe,” Spartaca nodded, planting a quick kiss on the trainer’s lips. “But I get the feeling that the Kryptonian doesn’t know anything about you aside from what she must have seen in the training grounds.” She sighed. “I don’t know how she survived that knife to the gut – especially since the last thing Zara told us before disappearing was that she’d died – but I can’t say I’m unhappy about it, either.”

“So, you don’t hate her?”

The human shook her head. “I did at first. But once I realized that the story Master R’Kard told me about a blow to the head taking out all of my memories was something that could only happen in fiction, I couldn’t any longer. Hell, she probably had it way worse than I did for all these months.” Another sigh. “I know I told the Master that I only tried to intervene as a matter of honor, but the truth is that there’s some…instinct…I can’t explain telling me to protect that girl.”

“From the past you can’t remember,” Shadowcat mused. “Probably the same thing keeping you from fully committing to a relationship with me.”

With a sad smile, Spartaca reached out and ran her fingers through her lover’s silver hair, trailing them down across ebony skin. “Kitty, I—”

“Shh.” Shadowcat touched a finger to the smaller woman’s lips. “It’s okay. Honestly, I’d be surprised if you _didn’t_ have someone back on your home planet.”

“I wish I could remember, Kitty. It feels like there’s this…hole…that even the thrill of the Arena can’t fill. I thought being with you might help, and it _has_ , in some ways, but the hole is still there. I’m sorry I can’t give you more, I really am. You’re absolutely amazing.”

“So are you,” Shadowcat smiled, brushing dark fingers across Spartaca’s cheek and drawing her into a soft kiss. “And what happened with your memories isn’t your fault. I don’t hold it against you at all. I’m just happy to have whatever you can give, for as long as you can give it.”

“Thanks. I just wish we didn’t have to sneak around like this, thrilling as that can be.”

“So do I, but we both know what Master R’Kard would do if he caught us. Free people aren’t supposed to have _relationships_ with slaves.”

Spartaca nodded, knowing she was right. On War World, the masters and their paid employees could use slaves however they wanted, so long as there were no feelings involved that could compromise their ability to command said slaves. Any free person caught in an emotional affair with a slave would be lucky to just be dismissed from that household. And, more often than not, the slave involved would never be seen or heard from again. Master R’Kard was harsher than most when it came to discipline, so there was a good chance that even his Champion would end up in a ditch somewhere if she and Shadowcat were discovered. Which made whatever time they could steal together all the more precious. Spartaca pushed her lover back down on the bed, capturing her lips in a heated kiss, and the rest of the world soon fell away. 

At least until an alarm went off on the nearby stand. “Fuck!” Spartaca grumbled, reluctantly pulling herself away from Shadowcat to check the time. It was getting dangerously close to curfew. “I have to go.” She pulled her clothes back on, kissing her lover one last time before heading to the door. “See you tomorrow for training?”

“Of course, my Champion. The Arena will reopen soon enough, I’m sure. They can’t keep it closed forever.” It had been shut down since the bombing, for fear that any public gatherings there would be too tempting a target for the ‘cowards’ in the Resistance.

Spartaca nodded, flashing Shadowcat a hopeful smile. “Goodnight, Kitty.” She slipped out of the room before anything could tempt her to stay longer and made her way out of the house, using a hidden tunnel that exited in the basement of the brothel. As far as any nosy Peacekeepers or guards would be concerned, she’d been using her earnings to ‘entertain’ herself there, instead of sneaking away to her trainer’s home for an illicit rendezvous. Walking out of the brothel’s front door as if she’d been inside all along, Spartaca started making her way back to the compound, only to find herself surrounded by black-clad goons – ones she soon recognized as Master R’Kard’s personal guard.

“Having fun, Champion?” one of them sneered. M’Ven, R’Kard’s Captain, who had never liked her.

“I _was_. Got a problem with that?”

“Depends on who you’re having fun _with._ ” He moved uncomfortably close, leaning in right next to her ear. “How stupid do you think I am, slave? I know _exactly_ how much you’ve earned in the Arena, and it’s nowhere near enough to afford the company at this brothel.”

Spartaca laughed. “I’m the fucking _Champion_. Do you really think anyone here actually makes me pay for it?”

“Insolent wench!” he snarled, grabbing her throat and slamming her against a nearby wall while his men watched. “No slave speaks to me like that and gets away with it!” M’Ven had her high enough that her feet were nowhere near the ground, making it hard to breathe, and her vision was starting to fade when the pressure suddenly disappeared. She felt to her knees, gulping in precious air, and when her vision finally cleared, she saw a group of masked individuals fighting M’Ven and his goons. The masked ones outnumbered the guards and soon ran them off, at which point one removed their mask to reveal their leader.

“You,” Spartaca gasped, pushing herself back to her feet.

“Come with me if you want to live.” The Champion’s eyebrow shot up as she tried to figure out where she’d heard that before. But then she felt a prick in the side of her neck and her vision started to swim again. “Sorry about this,” the Kryptonian apologized as everything went dark….

The next time she opened her eyes, Spartaca found herself in what appeared to be an infirmary. Just not the one she’d grown used to. She hyperventilated for a few moments, as though her air had been cut off, and once she was breathing normally again, the Champion realized she had company. The Kryptonian, Zara (which explained her disappearance), and a blue-skinned man she’d never seen before.

“W-where am I?” She had a pretty good idea already, but part of her still hoped she’d be wrong. Master R’Kard definitely would not be pleased if she was where she thought she might be.

The Kryptonian – Kara – stepped forward. “We brought you back to our base. Sorry about the drugs, but we have to be careful about who knows our location. That, and it was the only way to remove your tracker.”

“I don’t understand,” Spartaca muttered, hand automatically going to the back of her neck and finding a slightly raised line where the implant would have been. She could already hear the lecture her Master would be giving when and if she got back. And what happened after the lecture…well…she really didn’t want to think about it. But what was done was done. Too late to change it now.

The blue man chose that moment to move next to Kara, clearly oblivious to Spartaca’s inner turmoil. “Allow me to explain. The drug you were injected with is designed to slow your heartrate to almost imperceptible levels. Slow enough to deceive the implant into believing you to be deceased. The implant is designed to shut down when the host dies, so while you were out, we were able to safely remove it without triggering the neurotoxin. You are officially free of R’Kard’s control. You are welcome,” he added, looking almost annoyingly self-satisfied.

“So, you faked my death and yanked my tracker,” she nodded, doing her best not to let on how scared she was. “What about the nanotech in my blood?”

“We do not possess the resources to resolve that issue.”

“Meaning you don’t have any compatible donors for a blood transfusion or equipment for dialysis,” Spartaca guessed. She wasn’t quite sure _how_ she knew that but chalked it up to her memory issues. Nods from Zara and the blue man confirmed that she’d guessed correctly. “What will the tech do to me without the implant? Can it still be used to cause me pain if Master R’Kard finds us?” Though her Master wasn’t averse to more physical punishments, he preferred methods that wouldn’t keep her from the Arena for too long. Especially when she had a big fight coming up.

Kara sighed. “They’ve probably reverted to whatever default setting R’Kard created when he had you injected. The ones in my system are preventing me from metabolizing yellow sunlight, so I have to rely on Zara’s expertise to help me if I get hurt. I can’t heal the way I’m supposed to, and my powers are completely inaccessible. I’m as human as you are.”

“I’m sorry.” Nodding, Kara retreated a bit, and Spartaca turned her attention back to the other two. “I don’t suppose you can tell me what my ‘default’ is?”

“We’re still analyzing the blood samples we took when Kara brought you in,” Zara replied. “But we’ll have answers soon.”

The blue man snorted. “We would have them faster if you would let me run the analysis myself.”

“Hey, who’s the healer here?”

“I am a 12th-level intellect! Do you honestly think me incapable of understanding something even a primitive like you can grasp?”

“Who are you calling primitive, you walking pile of computer chips?” The argument got more intense, and Spartaca felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Let’s get out of here,” Kara whispered. “They’re going to be at this a while.”

Not needing to be told twice, Spartaca hopped down from the exam table she’d woken up on and followed after the Kryptonian. They left the infirmary and headed down a drab gray corridor. “Are they always like that?” the Champion ventured. She’d always assumed that the Resistance was a pretty cohesive unit, based on what she knew of their raids, but clearly there were some internal issues that still needed working out.

“Coluans like Dox are great when it comes to logic and problem solving. Not so much with social interaction.”

“Right,” the human nodded, running a hand through her hair. The pair walked in silence until they rounded a corner and came to a new corridor lined with doors on either side. Kara stopped about halfway down and opened one on her right, revealing a rather spartan room containing just a bed, a trunk, a small table with a single chair, and a screen of some kind on the wall opposite the bed.

“These are your quarters if you want them. Mine are just at the end of the hall. There are fresh clothes in the trunk, and the voice-activated screen will give you access to most of the information we have at our disposal. For the moment, you are blocked from anything pertaining to our location or specifics about who is part of our movement, but perhaps in time that can change. If you choose to stay, of course.”

“I can’t,” Spartaca sighed. Tempting as it was to just take the opportunity and run, the reality was that it wouldn’t be that easy. Not for her, at least. “I’m the Champion. Master R’Kard won’t let me go without a fight. And after your ‘miraculous’ resurrection, he won’t be fooled by my tracker going dark. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll take me back to the marketplace as soon as possible and pray that he doesn’t probe my temporary disappearance too deeply.”

“We can protect you.”

“How? Your people can’t even run blood tests without fighting. Master R’Kard has the rest of War World convinced you’re fucking terrorists, and none of you has done a thing to prove otherwise. I can guarantee it won’t be long before the Peacekeepers start targeting anyone who’s even expressed the mildest bit of sympathy for your cause and taking them to interrogation. And we both know how that will end. Shit or get off the fucking pot already.”

Kara frowned. “What are you saying?”

“That raiding fighting pits hasn’t done shit for whatever cause you’re claiming. It just makes you look like a bunch of violent thugs, and for what? Freeing maybe half a dozen slaves at a time, if that? Most of the slaves on War World aren’t fighters. If you really care about ending slavery, do something for _them_.” Kara stared at her for a moment, as if she hadn’t heard right. “What?” Spartaca asked, moving into the quarters and sitting on the bed. She watched the Kryptonian step into the doorway and lean against the frame. Kara crossed her arms and stared for a few moments more, then sighed.

“Sorry…I wasn’t really expecting _that_ response. All the reports I’ve gotten seemed to suggest you were loyal to your ‘master.’ Bringing you here was kind of a Hail Mary.”

“I show Master R’Kard what he wants to see, that’s all,” she shrugged. Granted, she _had_ been completely loyal at first, what with waking up in a strange place and having him be the only one to show her kindness. But once she started questioning what she’d been told, all that changed, and now she was just trying to survive. “Learned the hard way that doing otherwise never ends well,” she continued, shaking off those thoughts to focus on the present. “Doesn’t stop me from forming my own opinion about this bullshit.” The Champion shook her head. “I won’t lie…I enjoy being Champion. Hearing crowds chant my name as I kick someone’s ass. It’s a thrill. But that’s just me, and I honestly don’t know if I’d feel the same with my memories intact.” Which was true. The Arena was the only place she felt free, but perhaps if she could remember _real_ freedom, she might not see it that way. Hard to say for sure.

Nodding, Kara pulled the chair out from the table and sat down. “So, you agree with us?”

“I agree with your _goals_ , not your methods.” If ending slavery was truly possible on War World, Spartaca would be glad to lend a hand in doing so. Not remembering any other life didn’t strip her of the desire for one where she didn’t have to constantly bow to someone else’s whims. But the way the Resistance had been doing things didn’t strike her as an effective way of bringing change.

“Then help us,” the Kryptonian challenged. “Show us how to be better…to make a _real_ difference in this Rao-forsaken place.” 

“It’s not that easy.” With a heavy sigh, Spartaca stood up and turned around, lifting the back of her shirt. Kara gasped. Seeing her reach forward, the Champion covered herself again and sat back down. She didn’t particularly like anyone seeing those scars – it had taken time to even let Shadowcat look, much less touch, and the trainer had been there when they’d been inflicted – but the Kryptonian needed a reality check. “Master R’Kard did that the first time I dared question him. Suffice it to say, I’m not interested in a repeat.”

“They didn’t heal you?”

“Only enough to keep me from bleeding to death. The scars are meant to be a reminder. If he did that to me over some questions, what do you think he’ll do if I’m caught aiding a bunch of supposed terrorists?”

“Of course,” Kara nodded, leaning forward in the chair and running a hand down her face. “If you’re certain that you can’t be a part of this, then we’ll take you back to the marketplace tomorrow. No hard feelings.”

“Just like that? Are you sure?”

Kara sighed. “I won’t lie…I’m disappointed. And I’m angry that he’s hurt you so terribly. But I can’t force you to put yourself at risk. It has to be your choice. That’s the whole point of what we’re doing…giving people the choice their so-called masters would deny them.”

“Choice…right…” Spartaca muttered. She got back up and started pacing the small room, rubbing the back of her neck as she tried to organize her thoughts. Kara was giving her an out. All she had to do was say yes, and she could go back to Master R’Kard…pretend none of this ever happened. Question was, did she want to? What kind of person would she be if, after all her talk about the Resistance needing to be better, she refused to help them make that change? “Look,” she finally breathed. “Maybe we can work out some sort of compromise.”

“I’m listening….”

“I want to help you improve; I really do.”

“Just not openly,” Kara chimed in, clearly able to read her quite well.

Spartaca nodded. “I could be your person on the inside instead. Help you stay ahead of the guards and Peacekeepers.”

“But how would that even work? I’m not sure we could give you a way to communicate that your Master couldn’t trace.”

“That brings me to the other part I can help with. I have a…friend…who’s been aiding slaves in getting off-world for years. Long before your Resistance was even thought of. I’d be happy to introduce you, and she can not only aid you in _actually_ doing something to benefit the people you claim to want to protect, but act as a liaison between your group and myself.”

The Kryptonian seemed to think for a moment. “And just who is this ‘friend’ of yours?” she finally asked.

“Shadowcat.”

“WHAT?”

Wincing a bit at the volume of Kara’s voice, Spartaca raised her hands in mock surrender. “Calm down. I know she was probably a total bitch to you when you first got here, but it wasn’t personal. Just part of the job. She’s really a good person, I swear. And she’d be happy to help.”

“Right,” Kara grumbled. “And how long have you been sleeping with her?”

“What? How did you….” She shook her head. “Never mind. It’s really none of your business.”

“Do you have any idea how wrong this is? Shadowcat is basically another Master. She orders you around when R’Kard isn’t. How is this even remotely consensual?”

“It’s better than being forced to ‘entertain’ the wealthy female patrons Master R’Kard wants to impress. At least with Shadowcat I have a choice. She’s never made me do anything I didn’t want to.” Spartaca ran a hand through her hair. “Is this about the person you think I’m supposed to be with?”

“Her name is Alex.” Kara turned her attention to the screen. “Computer, display image 5A from Delos VII.” A moment later, Spartaca found herself looking at a woman with close-cropped reddish hair, a black patch over her right eye, and tattoos covering her right forearm. There was something oddly familiar about her, but she simply couldn’t place it, no matter how hard she tried.

“She’s hot,” the Champion quipped.

Kara frowned. “She’s my sister. And she’s coming for us, along with the woman I love and whatever new friends they’ve made along the way. They’ve already freed slaves from the mines on Delos VII, and Dox says they were also spotted in the Kendrakian system, rumored to have removed some young slaves from a brothel on one of the planets there. I joined the Resistance to follow their example…to do what I can for the slaves here until they reach this system and can help us finish the job.” She sighed. “Look…I know you don’t have any memories of her right now, and I’m not judging you for seeking comfort with someone else, much as it pains me to think about you with anyone other than Alex. I just want you to be careful.”

“I am,” Spartaca nodded. “I wish I could remember Alex. It feels like I have something missing inside, and if what you say is true, maybe she’s the reason for it. But I can’t spend my life here waiting for something that may never happen.”

“It will.”

“Maybe.” She knelt in front of the chair Kara occupied. “Look…if I’m going to help the Resistance, I need you to make me a promise.”

“What kind of promise?”

Spartaca sighed. “I don’t know you as well as you seem to think I should, but it’s clear you’re an honorable person. And I need to swear to me, on your honor, that if things go south – if I get caught aiding the Resistance – you’re not going to let me suffer if it’s in your power to stop it. We both know how…creative…Master R’Kard can be when it comes to torture.”

“Of course we’ll get you out of there.”

“That’s not what I mean. I don’t want you risking any more than absolutely necessary, and a rescue mission will likely get a lot of Resistance members killed.”

Kara thought for a moment, then scowled. “You want me to kill you.”

“Yes,” Spartaca nodded. “Better a quick death at your hands than days of torment at his.”

“But…Alex….”

“Can you guarantee me that your family would arrive in time to get me out if I’m caught?”

“No.”

“Exactly.” She drew in a deep breath before meeting the Kryptonian’s eyes. “Of course I don’t want to die, and if your sister and her friends can get me out before the worst happens, I’ll take it. But if it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen and you have a chance to spare me all of that, please…do it. Like you did for the Toomian.”

Kara shuddered at the memory but nodded anyway. “Alright. I’ll do it. _If_ you get caught and it doesn’t look like Alex will get here in time. But you’re not going to get caught.”

“I don’t plan on it, no. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.” Before either of them could say anything further, an alarm started blaring and the image on the screen was replaced with the last thing Spartaca expected.

**_“We know where you are,”_** Master R’Kard gloated. **_“My spy has done her job perfectly. Your so-called Resistance is finished.”_** The screen cut out and Kara fixed her with a deadly glare. She grabbed Spartaca’s arm and dragged her out of the room, past Resistance members who were frantically grabbing weapons and whatever else they could pack. 

“I don’t know what he’s talking about, I swear!”

“Save it!” Kara snapped, shoving her into what she assumed was their command center. A bank of somewhat dated computers and a central hub projecting a map of Mongul City. “Did you mean any of what you said? Or was it all just a lie to buy time for your Master to track us down?”

Spartaca shook her head, raising her hands. “I have absolutely no idea how he could’ve tracked me here, seeing as you removed the implant.”

“She is right,” Dox interrupted. “I ran an analysis on her blood myself.” Zara glared at him as he spoke, but he ignored the Daxamite. “There seems to be an anomaly. It appears a second set of nanites had been introduced into her bloodstream at some point prior to our bringing her here. The new nanites contained trackers, and they were designed to activate if her implant ever went dark. There is no way we could have predicted this.” He turned to Spartaca. “The analysis also revealed that without the implant, the original nanites are maintaining the blocks on your memory. Removing them may clear things up, but I would not feel comfortable doing so – even if we had the resources – without a strong psychic present to regulate the return of your memories so you will not be overwhelmed by a sudden rush of information.”

“Right,” Spartaca nodded. She’d suspected that Master R’Kard may have had something to do with her memory loss, and having those suspicions confirmed made her even more determined to undermine him somehow until they could find some way to get off War World for good. But that was an issue for later. “We can worry about that after we deal with the goons about to break down your doors. Please tell me you have some sort of plan in place for this.”

“Half a plan.” Kara looked at Dox. “Get the noncombatants to the secondary bunker and wipe all of our servers. The rest of us will hold R’Kard off. If you don’t hear from us within 24 hours, assume the worst has happened and go to Plan C.”

“Consider it done,” the Coluan nodded. He placed a hand on the nearest computer bank, and in moments all of the computers sputtered and died. Once that was complete, he left the command center, presumably to collect the noncombatants Kara had mentioned.

Spartaca looked to the Kryptonian. “What’s Plan C?”

“You’re not cleared for that information.” She turned to Zara. “Rally the troops. Make sure all the entrances are covered, just like we’ve been training for. I’ll be here with our friend.”

“Done.” Zara glared at the Champion – clearly blaming her for what happened despite Dox’s assurances to the contrary – before stalking off to follow Kara’s orders.

“Now what?”

Kara drew in a deep breath. “I’m sorry about this.” Before Spartaca could ask for an explanation, the Kryptonian punched her in the jaw. Hard. She followed up with a blow to the temple that sent her stumbling into one of the now-dead computers. Something wet trickled into her eye and she touched the spot to find blood. But she barely had a chance to register what that meant before Kara slammed her to the floor, forcing her onto her stomach and using what felt like leather to bind her hands behind her back. “Nothing personal,” Kara finally explained as she sat the Champion up against that same computer bank. “If your Master thinks you’re a hostage, maybe he won’t hurt you for being here.”

“Did you have to hit so fucking hard?” Spartaca mumbled. It hurt to even open her mouth right now. Even without her powers, the Kryptonian certainly packed a wallop.

“I had to make it look real.” Kara leaned in close. “That promise I made you earlier?” she whispered. “I need you to make the same one to me. Though I remain optimistic that Alex will come to save the day, I’m not stupid. This isn’t going to end well. If there’s no sign of her ship by the time R’Kard is ready to carry out whatever he has planned for me, don’t let me suffer. End it as quickly as you can. And tell Alex and Lena I’m sorry I couldn’t hold out for them.” Spartaca nodded. “Thank you.” Then, with an apologetic smile, the Kryptonian shoved a wad of cloth into the Champion’s mouth before retrieving a gun from a nearby cabinet. She could hear gunfire from the corridors beyond that room. Not to mention the screams of the dying. And Spartaca had a sinking feeling that her Master was the one with the upper hand.

Sure enough, M’Ven and his men burst in just a few moments later, and the Captain smirked at her before turning his weapon in Kara’s direction. “Surrender or die!”

“I don’t think so,” Kara shot back, grabbing Spartaca’s arm and hauling her upright. She pressed the barrel of her own weapon into the Champion’s aching jaw. “Drop your weapons, or your Champion gets it.”

He laughed. “You think I care about some slave who thinks she’s better than the rest of us? Go ahead and finish her. I’ll wait.”

“I’m not kidding!”

Heavy footsteps echoed through the corridor and the guards parted to reveal R’Kard himself. “You’re not going to kill her,” he said.

“Try me.”

“You don’t have it in you.” As her Master spoke, Spartaca just barely caught the subtle gesture towards M’Ven. A shot rang out before she could even think of warning Kara and the Kryptonian dropped her gun, hand moving to clutch her now-bleeding shoulder. “Take the Kryptonian into custody,” he ordered. M’Ven nodded to a couple of his men, who pulled Kara away and bound her hands behind her, ignoring her cries of pain as the movements jostled her wound. At the same time, another guard moved to Spartaca’s side and cut her free. Master R’Kard pointed to a spot in the corner of the room and the Champion automatically obeyed, watching as he turned back to his men. “How many have we captured?”

“Less than a dozen,” M’Ven reported. “The rest died trying to stop us.”

“What of the Daxamite?”

“Zara Van survived. We found her hiding in an alcove, away from the fighting.”

Master R’Kard smirked. “Typical of her race. Make her treat the Kryptonian’s wound, then lock them both in the stockade – separately, of course.”

“Stockade?” the Captain asked, seeming a bit confused.

“I’ve read about these bases. They kept their prisoners on the level below this one. So once the Kryptonian’s wound has been dealt with, lock her, the Daxamite, and the other prisoners down there for the night. We’ll leave for the city at first light. In the meantime, have your men seize everything they find in here. Especially weapons and vehicles.”

“Yes, Sir. But I’m not sure I understand. Mongul City is over a cycle’s travel from here. Why can’t we just portal back?”

Master R’Kard responded by picking up Kara’s discarded weapon and shooting M’Ven in the face. “Anyone else have any questions?” The other guards just shook their heads. “Good. We’ll be riding back to the city in whatever vehicles we can seize, while the captured rebels will make their way on foot. It’ll be slow, but by the time we arrive they’ll be too tired to try anything. You have your orders. Now go!” The guards scrambled to leave, pulling a bound and injured Kara in their wake. Soon it was just Spartaca and her Master. He kicked M’Ven’s remains aside and approached her corner. “My Champion.”

Spartaca dropped to her knees, turning her gaze to the floor. “Master.”

“You’ve done War World a great service today, Spartaca. We would have never found these terrorists without your help.”

“H-Happy to help, Sir.”

“Are you?” A massive hand latched onto the collar of her shirt, yanking her back to her feet. “Do you think me a fool, Champion?”

“Of course not.”

“Liar!” The hand shifted to her throat and Spartaca found herself pinned to the wall, hardly able to even breathe. “I heard _everything_ , Champion. Your desire to leave this place…your sympathies with these miscreants. Not to mention confirming my suspicions about you and the trainer.” He laughed harshly. “I’ll bet you’re wondering how. During your last physical, the healer gave you an ‘immunity booster’ that was, in fact, new nanites…ones designed to kick in and let me track your position should the rebels grab you and remove your implant. They also let me listen in on your conversations. I had to shut them off when I sent the message announcing my arrival, but I’d already heard more than enough to let you join your new friends in their fate if I so choose.” He released his grip and she dropped back to the floor, gasping for breath.

“M-Master…please….”

“Don’t worry, Champion. I have no intention of killing you…yet. No…you’re going to be a hero. After all, I can’t have the people of this planet thinking that their beloved Champion could so easily be taken in by a bunch of terrorist thugs. Not when I’m poised to become the next Emperor.”

“Sir?” Spartaca asked, genuinely confused. Last she’d checked, Lord Mongul hadn’t been declared dead yet. They were still searching.

“The bombing was almost 14 cycles ago, and even those fools on the High Council know that if Lord Mongul hasn’t been found by now, it’s unlikely he ever will be. Not alive, at least. When I ride into Mongul City in triumph with the captured rebels in tow and you by my side, they’ll have no choice but to name me as his successor.” He pulled Spartaca back to her feet once more, squeezing her shoulder in a less-than-gentle way. “Once I’m crowned, my first act will be to set you free in recognition of your heroism, and name you the new Captain of my Imperial Guard. But make no mistake,” he added, squeezing a bit harder. “This isn’t a promotion. I spent many orbits bound to Lord Mongul to pay for my father’s mistake. And I intend to bind you to me in the same way. From now until you draw your last breath, you will follow my orders to the letter. Starting with helping me make an example of those rebels.” He released his grip and tapped a few buttons on his bracer, bringing up a holographic display that made her stomach roil. His plans for Kara and the others.

“Y-you can’t ask me to do that, Sir,” she protested. “It’s…cruel. Utterly barbaric, even by War World’s standards. God…I shouldn’t have told you anything about Earth.”

Master R’Kard snorted, shutting off the display. “Don’t flatter yourself. Lord Mongul did the same thing to the tribal leaders who refused to bend the knee after the conquest. And this wasn’t a suggestion.” He grabbed the front of her shirt, pulling her close. “You _will_ follow my orders, or your girlfriend will be the one sharing their fate.” Spartaca stared at him for a moment in shock, and he just grinned. “It’s up to you. Do as commanded, and I’ll just charge her with inappropriate fornication. Worst case, she’d be stripped of her freedom and returned to the Arena. Refuse, and I’ll reveal the truth about her little hobby. Aiding the escape of even one slave is an automatic death sentence. So, what do you say… _Captain_?”

Spartaca closed her eyes, fighting the urge to vomit. If she agreed, Kara and the others would suffer horribly, and on her Master’s even tighter leash she doubted she’d have the opportunity to keep her promise. But refusing would change nothing for them, and just add someone she cared about to their ranks. It wasn’t really a choice at all. She finally nodded, already hating herself. “Y-your wish is my command, Sir.”

“Better.” He released his grip again. “But there’s still a lesson to be learned. And since I can no longer control the nanotech in your system, we’ll have to do this the old-fashioned way.” As Master R’Kard spoke, his hands went to the thick leather belt around his waist. “I think 15 will suffice in this case. Remove your shirt, put your hands against the wall, and start counting.” 

Forcing down the tears that threatened to fall, Spartaca did as her Master ordered. She somehow managed not to flinch as she heard the belt come away from his waist. Moments later, the leather descended upon her bared flesh with an audible snap, sending white-hot pain lancing down her back. Spartaca barely heard herself count the ‘one.’ And with each successive blow, she felt the walls of her gilded cage close in tighter and tighter, ripping away any future she’d dared dream for herself outside of this wretched place. Just as damned as the Resistance members her Master planned to dispatch, if not more so. Even ‘free,’ she could never escape….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the Resistance is screwed and Maggie's powerless to stop R'Kard's plan. Will Alex and Lena reach War World before the worst happens? Or is R'Kard about to get everything he wants, including his revenge on the Kryptonians? Find out next week with Kara's next chapter!


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara faces the consequences for her attempt to fight the system

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos and comments so far. Fair warning, this chapter isn't going to be pretty.

“Won’t be much longer now, terrorist,” a guard sneered. Kara remained huddled in the corner of the tiny cell she currently occupied, barely even acknowledging him. She had absolutely no idea how long she’d been there. No windows to let in light from the outside. Lights in the cell block running constantly. What passed as food being brought in at random intervals. The only real indication Kara had of time passing was the fact that the cell block was significantly emptier than when she’d first been locked in. Every so often, guards would come and drag a protesting Resistance member from their cell, never to be seen again. Dead, undoubtedly. And every loss was another mark on her already battered soul. She couldn’t help but blame herself. If she hadn’t insisted on trying to get Maggie back, R’Kard wouldn’t have had the opportunity to track them. But he figured out her weakness and took advantage. Now, most of the Resistance was dead, and the ones who survived – assuming they hadn’t been found and taken out in the time since the raid – weren’t fighters. Dox might be able to hold his own but seemed to prefer the brain work to combat. Which is why she’d sent him with the people the Resistance had taken under their protection. She hadn’t seen his among the heads that R’Kard’s men had stuck on spikes along the road between the base and Mongul City, so until someone told her otherwise, she had to believe he survived. That there were at least some people who wouldn’t pay for her mistake with their lives.

Kara glanced down the cell block. From her position at the end of the corridor, in the wall between the two rows of cells, she could see all the way down to the entrance. Most of the other cells had gone dark, their occupants having already met their fates. Guilt made her stomach roil yet again and it was all she could do not to vomit…especially when she thought of Zara, who hadn’t even made it that far….

_After nearly a full day of marching down a mostly barren roadway, hands bound behind her with magnetic cuffs, tethered to her fellow prisoners via a loosely tied rope around her neck, Kara was actually relieved when R’Kard called for them to stop and make camp for the night. She was exhausted, and not just physically. It seemed R’Kard had sent men ahead of their convoy to ‘decorate’ their path with the heads of the Resistance members who’d died in the raid, providing her with gruesome reminders of how badly she’d failed all of them._

_While some of the lower-level guards worked on setting up a campsite, others moved the vehicles stolen from the Resistance’s base over to the side of the road. Maggie – Spartaca – was also dressed as a guard, albeit with trimmings that indicated a higher rank, and she left the position she’d maintained most of the day at R’Kard’s side to direct a few more guards to herd their prisoners to the center of the chosen site. They separated Kara from the others, then erected force fields around both her and the rest of the group. With her hands still bound, Kara could only watch with envy as R’Kard and his guards settled down for what looked like a decent meal. Spartaca served her (former?) Master’s meal personally before eating her own, as if she were still a slave despite the uniform that said otherwise. R’Kard smirked at Kara before digging in, just to make clear that this was another part of her torment. Her stomach practically roared with hunger, and her comrades didn’t seem to be faring much better, but there was nothing any of them could do. So Kara simply curled up on her side, turning her back to their captors. Her eyes briefly locked with Zara’s as she did. The Daxamite’s expression was unreadable. But Kara really had nothing left to say to her. They’d already had it out over Zara’s apparent cowardice during the raid while the other woman was treating her shoulder wound, and she honestly couldn’t say if they even still had what could be called a friendship. Not that it would matter for much longer. Kara closed her eyes to try and get what sleep she could before the hell tomorrow would bring…._

_“On your feet, terrorist!” someone barked. Kara barely had time to open her eyes before someone grabbed an arm and hauled her upright. It was pitch dark out, save for the lights from the stolen vehicles. But the camp was oddly empty. The prisoners were still there, but she only saw two guards, including the one currently gripping her arm. Said guard dragged her some distance from the camp, and Kara soon found herself being thrust into a circle of guards, illuminated by some torches stuck into the ground around them. Zara was already in the center, hands still bound. A moment later, a couple of guards stepped aside and R’Kard appeared, flanked by Spartaca. There was definitely something off about her demeanor, but Kara didn’t really have much time to think on it before R’Kard moved forward, clearing his throat._

_“The face of the rebellion and the supposedly loyal slave who betrayed me,” he snarled, glaring at each of them in turn. “I ought to kill you both where you stand, but an example needs to be made. However, I’ve decided to give one of you the chance to escape the fate waiting for you when we reach Mongul City. A fight to the death, right here and now. May the best one win.” He stepped back and gestured to his guards, who removed the magnetic cuffs binding their hands. She and Zara circled each other for a moment, trying to size their opponent up._

_“We don’t have to do this,” Kara whispered. Whatever their current differences, she had no desire to kill the other woman. “He’s just playing mind games.”_

_“Screw you!” Zara charged forward, tackling Kara to the ground. The Kryptonian barely managed to get her arms up before her opponent started swinging for her head. Kara was able to block most of the blows, but the Daxamite still got a couple in, opening a cut over one eye and another on her lip. “This is your fault!” Zara continued. “If you hadn’t brought_ her _to our base, we wouldn’t be in this mess!”_

_“I know. I’m sorry.”_

_“Shut up!” Zara swung again, but this time Kara grabbed her arm before it could make contact and reversed their positions. She straddled the Daxamite’s waist and pinned her hands to the ground._

_“Stop fighting me,” Kara hissed. “We’re just playing into_ his _hands.”_

_Zara spit in her eye. “Why should I listen to you? If there’s even a chance I can get myself out of this, I’m taking it!” She headbutted Kara, bloodying her nose, but the Kryptonian was quick to pin her back down again._

_“I know you’re pissed, and you have every right to be, but this isn’t the answer.”_

_“Kill her!” R’Kard roared, the cry echoed by his men (save for Spartaca, who remained silent)._

_Kara shook her head. “No. Kill me if you must, but you won’t force me to take another life.” For a moment, Zara seemed to relax beneath her. But the Daxamite tensed up again as R’Kard moved forward, looming over them both._

_“Kill the Daxamite,” he growled, “or else I will make you watch as I turn my men loose on her. They’ll tear her apart, and there won’t be anything you can do about it. And I’ll make sure she dies knowing that her suffering was all your fault.”_

_“Kara…”_

_“I’m sorry,” Kara whispered, shifting position to pull Zara into her arms from behind. “You don’t deserve to suffer for my mistake. When you reach Rao’s Light, if you see my family, tell them I’ll be along soon.” Not waiting for a response, she wrapped an arm tightly around Zara’s throat, pressing her other arm against the back of the other woman’s neck to put pressure on the carotid like Alex had shown her. She didn’t have the strength to actually snap Zara’s neck, but rendering the Daxamite unconscious would keep her from feeling anything when the end came. Zara struggled at first but quickly faded, and Kara maintained the hold until she could no longer feel a pulse and Zara’s breathing ceased. Whispering the prayer for the dead, she finally let the body drop, not even resisting when the guards came over and bound her hands once more. Frankly, it was all she could do not to let R’Kard see her cry. The last thing she wanted was more blood on her hands – especially that of someone she cared about – but there was no other way. Most of R’Kard’s men were as cruel as he was. Better to give Zara a relatively quick and painless death than to let her be tortured. Not that it made her feel any better about having to do the deed herself. She glared at R’Kard, but it only made him laugh._

_“I knew I’d make a killer of you sooner or later,” he smirked. “Pity it had to happen_ after _you started your pathetic little rebellion.”_

_Kara spat at R’Kard’s feet. “The gods will smite you for this.”_

_“Perhaps,” R’Kard shrugged, “but you and your little rebel friends won’t be around to see it.” He nodded to Spartaca. “Take the Kryptonian back to camp.” Spartaca grabbed her arm and started dragging her away. The last Kara saw of that spot was R’Kard gesturing between his men and Zara’s body._

_Spartaca walked her back to the camp in silence, returning her to the place she’d been taken from and erecting the force field once again. “I’m sorry,” she finally whispered, hovering at the edges of Kara’s temporary prison._

_“Not your fault R’Kard is a sadistic monster.”_

_“No, but I still feel like I should’ve done something more than just stand there. But I can’t.” She gestured to her uniform. “This isn’t a promotion. It’s a life sentence. He was listening in the whole time we talked and knows how I really feel, so making me the head of his guard is his way of keeping me even closer.”_

_“Damn,” Kara muttered. “What about your promise?”_

_“He turned off whatever he was using to listen in when he announced his arrival, so he doesn’t know about it, but I honestly don’t know if I’ll be able to do anything with him watching my every move like a fucking hawk. All I can promise now is that I’ll try my best.”_

_“Thanks,” Kara nodded. “I’m still hoping for a rescue, but I appreciate whatever you can do to help me if one isn’t coming in time.” She sighed. “I don’t suppose you have any idea what R’Kard is planning, do you?”_

_“It’s probably better if you don’t know.”_

_“That bad?”_

_Spartaca nodded. “Like I said, I’ll do what I can to make it quick…or at least a little faster…but I can’t promise much more than that.” She glanced at the other force field. “I’ll do what I can for your comrades as well but – again – no promises.”_

_“I understand. Keep yourself safe. At least one of us should still be here when my sister arrives.”_

_“Right,” the (former) gladiator muttered. “I wish I could remember her.”_

_“Me too.”_

_“Get some rest. You’re going to need it.” Spartaca walked away and Kara curled up on her side once more, finally allowing herself to grieve Zara’s death…._

“You can kill me, but you can’t kill our cause!” someone yelled, jarring Kara from the memory. She looked through the bars to see guards hauling the last Resistance member from his cell. An Almaracian named Declyn, whom they’d rescued from the Underworld. He’d been one of the more gung-ho recruits to their cause, and apparently even capture hadn’t dampened his enthusiasm. “The slaves of War World will be free! Martyr us and the rest will rise! Mark my—” Spartaca chose that moment to step in, slamming a club into his throat and cutting off his speech. He started wheezing, like he couldn’t breathe.

“I couldn’t listen to that drivel any longer,” she explained to her men. “Now get him out of here!” They hauled a gasping Declyn away, and Spartaca briefly met Kara’s eyes before following after. Kara found herself once again whispering the prayer for the dead, as she had every other time she was forced to watch the guards take one of her comrades to their doom. The guard hovering outside her cell was right…it wouldn’t be much longer. Especially not with the way Declyn was struggling to breathe after that blow from Spartaca’s club. Based on the intervals between Resistance members being removed, Kara figured they were most likely waiting for one to die before taking the next. Which meant that whatever R’Kard had sentenced them to wasn’t quick. Part of her wondered why he hadn’t just taken them all at once. But, knowing R’Kard’s temperament, it wouldn’t surprise her if he was trying to draw out the horror for as long as possible…make absolutely sure no one would be brave enough to oppose him ever again. Not now that he’d seized power for himself….

_After another half day of marching, they finally reached the gates of Mongul City, where Zara’s remains dangled from a noose attached to the wall right next to said gates. R’Kard’s men had probably brought her there via one of those portal things, like what R’Kard himself used to take her and Maggie from Takron-Galtos. There was a placard hanging around Zara’s neck, but Kara still hadn’t figured out how to read the local language, so she could only guess at what it said. Not that she had much time to even try to read it. As the gates opened, R’Kard’s guards abandoned the stolen vehicles and prodded their prisoners along on foot. R’Kard himself led the procession from something vaguely resembling a convertible, Spartaca in the driver’s seat while he played to the crowds that had gathered. Crowds that were actually cheering him. And when they weren’t cheering, they hurled abuse at Kara and her fellow prisoners. Something cold and wet struck Kara’s face at one point. She hoped that it was only mud._

_Eventually, the procession came to a halt in the large square in front of the Imperial Palace. The west wing was still a pile of rubble, but the rest remained intact. A group of gray-skinned aliens in expensive robes stood on the front steps. R’Kard – clad in polished gold armor she hadn’t seen before that morning – strode forward and dipped his head in greeting._

_“Esteemed Councilors.”_

_“Ser R’Kard,” the only female among them intoned. “What is the meaning of this display?”_

_“I, R’Kard – grandson of the great High Councilor V’Rakill – have succeeded where the Peacekeepers have failed. I have brought down the rebels who attacked the palace and threatened our very way of life.” He gestured to one of his men, who cut Kara loose from the others and led her forward, shoving her to her knees before the Councilors. “I give you Kara Zor-El, the so-called Last Daughter of Krypton and the leader of the rebellion. The other rebels are either dead or in my custody. And if it is in my power to do so, I will make such a fearful example of these prisoners that no one would dare raise a hand against us ever again.” There were several long moments of silence before the crowd started cheering, insistently referring to R’Kard as ‘Lord’ – the title reserved for War World’s Emperor. As the chants grew louder, the Councilors huddled together to confer. Kara dared a glance up at R’Kard to find him smirking, supremely confident in the outcome. The Councilors argued for a time, a few of them angrily gesturing towards the rubble, as if to say it was too soon to be making that decision. Several – including the female – ultimately stalked off, but their departure wasn’t enough. The majority stayed and knelt before R’Kard._

_“Lord Mongul is dead,” one in a green robe declared. “Long live Lord R’Kard.” The other Councilors echoed his words, bowing their heads. R’Kard basked in their submission for several long moments before gesturing for them to rise. The Councilors immediately departed, leaving their new Emperor to greet his public._

_R’Kard turned to face the crowd, forcing Kara to do so as well. “Citizens of War World! I am truly humbled by your faith in me. No one can replace our late Emperor, but I will do my best to honor his legacy. Starting with making sure the slaves on this planet know their place.” He gestured for Spartaca to join him, and the crowd’s cheers grew louder the moment they recognized her. “Let it be known that your Champion is the one who made this possible. She infiltrated the rebel base and led my men straight to them. In recognition of her loyalty and heroism, I am officially setting her free and appointing her the new Captain of the Imperial Guard.” He clapped a hand down on Spartaca’s shoulder hard enough to make the human flinch. “On the day of my coronation, I will hold the largest tournament War World has ever seen, in which a new Champion will be crowned. But first, Spartaca shall lead the Imperial Guard in punishing these rebels.” He gestured for the rest of the prisoners to be brought forward, and the guards forced them all to kneel in a line next to Kara. R’Kard walked back and forth down the line, glaring at each of them in turn before ultimately stopping where he’d started. “For the murders of Lord Mongul and his household, aiding the escape of numerous slaves, interfering in gladiatorial entertainments, and high treason, you are all sentenced to die at the Emperor’s pleasure.” A hand suddenly wrapped around the loose ponytail Kara had been keeping her hair in since before the raid, yanking her head back. Out of the corner of her eye, Kara saw R’Kard pull a knife from his belt. But he didn’t stab her or slit her throat. Instead, he brought the blade down somewhere behind her head and the pressure from the hold suddenly disappeared. She turned to see him stuff the now-severed ponytail into his belt with the knife, flashing her that chilling grin that was almost his trademark. “Get them out of here,” her ordered Spartaca. “You know what to do.” His former Champion nodded, grabbing Kara’s arm and pulling her back to her feet. Kara forced back the tears pricking the corners of her eyes, both from the humiliation she’d just suffered and the knowledge that – barring a well-timed rescue from Alex and Lena – the end was coming soon. She’d be joining her parents and Astra in Rao’s Light. But Kara refused to let R’Kard and his ‘adoring’ public see her break, so she went along silently as Spartaca escorted her from the square…._

They were brought to a dungeon beneath the Imperial Palace’s east wing, processed, cleaned up, and shoved into the cells that would be their ‘home’ until the end came. Spartaca had handled Kara personally, cutting the remains of her hair into messy blonde spikes, washing the mud (?) from her face, and giving her what she assumed would be the last set of clothes she’d ever wear on War World. Which basically amounted to a gray t-shirt and blue jumpsuit (but no boots). From what Kara remembered seeing as Spartaca marched her down the block to her own cell, everyone else had gotten the same treatment, minus the impromptu haircut. 

With the cell block now virtually empty, Kara curled up on her side – her back to the bars – and closed her eyes, silently praying for what felt like the millionth time that Rao would forgive her for letting her emotions cloud her better judgment and costing so many people their lives. An error she’d soon be paying for with her own life. Kara wondered who would say the prayer for the dead over her remains….

She must have fallen asleep, because the next thing Kara knew was the sound of a key in the door of her cell. “Get up,” a familiar voice ordered. Kara climbed to her feet to find Spartaca on the other side of the bars. The former Champion opened the door and tossed in what looked like a fresh set of clothes. “Get dressed. Lord R’Kard’s orders.”

Nodding, Kara did as commanded, thankful that Spartaca seemed to be the only guard currently in the vicinity. “This is it, isn’t it?”

“I’ve been ordered to bring you to the Emperor’s private dining room. That’s all I know.”

“Right,” Kara sighed. The new clothes consisted of a white sleeveless shirt, along with pants and a jacket – both the same shade of red as the cape she’d once worn. Still no shoes, though. Once she’d dressed, Spartaca snapped cuffs onto her wrists and ankles before escorting her from the cell and out of the block. Several flights of stairs and a few corridors later, Kara found herself being pulled into a lavish dining room that almost reminded her of the Beast’s castle. Though she doubted there would be any singing candelabras to brighten the mood. Spartaca took her right over to the empty chair at one end of the table, removing the handcuffs entirely and taking off one side of the shackles long enough to thread the chain through the chair legs and around the rungs connecting them. The former Champion stepped back as soon as Kara was secured, moving just behind the chair.

“I must say, you do clean up rather nicely.”

Kara looked up from the table to see R’Kard stroll in, wearing a purple silk-like robe. “Why am I here?” she asked quietly.

“Right to the point, I see.” R’Kard took the seat at the other end of the table. “I’ve decided to indulge in what Spartaca tells me is a sort of tradition on your adopted planet.” Kara looked between him and his Captain for a moment, a little surprised Spartaca would’ve shared anything like that with her Master. “Yes, that’s right. She’s told me quite a lot about the world you and your cousin call home. Including how, in many of the places that still execute criminals, the condemned are given a ‘last meal’ before going to their deaths.” He pressed a button on his bracer, and a moment later a gray-skinned servant entered carrying a tray. Whatever it was, the smell was vaguely familiar. Like something from her childhood. The servant set the tray down in front of her, revealing a meat and vegetable dish and a mug with a hot beverage. Kara reached for the mug and took a sip, then tried a bite of the meat. And – just for a moment – her mind took her back to Krypton. Instead of having R’Kard and Spartaca watching her every move, she was sitting in her family’s dining room with her parents, enjoying the evening meal together.

“Thoni tea and…braised randor? How…?”

“Back during war between your people and Daxam, your enemies sold a number of captured prisoners as slaves. Lord Mongul acquired some of them. One served him as a chef and passed many of her native recipes to her successor, who passed them to his successor, and so on. Obviously, we had to…adjust…due to the unavailability of certain ingredients, but I trust the taste is close enough to what you remember. I thought it fitting that your last meal be one final taste of your true home.” Kara nodded, the food in her mouth seemingly turning to ash. But she continued eating anyway, rather than risk R’Kard forcing it down her throat. Once she’d consumed the last bits of vegetable and drained the tea, the same servant returned, taking the tray back to wherever he’d come from. 

“Why are you doing this?” Kara finally asked, after several moments of uncomfortable silence.

“Which part? The dinner? Or your execution? Because that last one should be rather obvious, given the crimes you and your rebel friends are guilty of. Even if you didn’t actually set that bomb, your pathetic little broadcasts certainly inspired whoever did.” Smiling, R’Kard got up and went to a cabinet filled with bottles of what Kara could only assume was alcohol, grabbing a bottle and glass to pour himself a drink. “As for the dinner,” he continued, returning the bottle to its spot and rejoining her at the table, “it’s because, in some ways, I owe you a debt. I’m not sorry Lord Mongul is dead…not after how horribly he’d always treated my family…and your so-called Resistance paved the way for my ascension. Bringing you down made me the obvious choice to succeed Mongul as Emperor. So thank you.” He raised the glass in a silent toast and Kara saw red, barely managing to keep from lashing out as she watched him sip the drink.

“This is all just one big game to you, isn’t it?”

R’Kard’s smile grew wider. “Of course it is. And I play to win. Your cousin didn’t understand how things work and nearly ruined me when he took down the gladiator who was Champion at that time. I’d wagered everything on that fight, even though betting was forbidden to the Imperial guard, and had the Champion won I would have been set for life. Instead, I spent the next several orbits scraping together what I would need to rebuild what was taken from my father once Lord Mongul finally released me from his service. Finding you among the prospective recruits…that was a stroke of luck. One way or another, I would have my revenge against the so-called Man of Steel. I’d hoped to turn you into the gladiator he’d refused to become, but this is just as good. Better, even. When the time is right, I’ll make sure he receives the recording of your final moments.”

“Monster!” Kara spat. “When my sister gets here….”

R’Kard laughed, draining the rest of his drink and moving right next to Kara. He grabbed a fistful of what little hair she had left and yanked her head back, forcing her to meet his eyes. “No one is coming for you, Kryptonian,” he sneered. “An associate of mine sent me this.” Releasing his grip, R’Kard pressed a button on his bracer, bringing up a holographic projection showing a region of space with a few asteroids scattered about. Kara watched in horror as a ship bearing an eerie resemblance to Earth 1’s _Waverider_ – the one Dox had told her belonged to her sister and Lena – crashed into one of the asteroids. “Your friends are dead,” R’Kard gloated, shutting the projection back down. “Even if they lived through the impact, there’s no way they could have survived for long on a desolate asteroid in the middle of nowhere. They’re gone. And come tomorrow, you’ll be joining them.”

This time, Kara couldn’t stop herself from going after R’Kard. It wasn’t as if she had anything left to lose. She punched him in the throat, making him gag and sputter, then grabbed the front of his robes and yanked him down to her level, twisting him around so she could wrap her arms around his throat from behind. “You wanted me to be a killer?” she growled. “Maybe it’s time you learned firsthand what that means.” Kara tightened her grip, watching with almost perverse pleasure as his gray skin started to turn red, then blue. But then something suddenly shot through her, as if she’d touched a live electrical wire, and she couldn’t maintain the hold any longer. Kara collapsed back in the chair, barely able to focus. It took several long moments before she got her bearings back. R’Kard was gasping for breath, looking more pissed than she’d ever seen, and Spartaca had been joined by several other guards. One of them seemed oddly familiar, but Kara wasn’t sure if the familiarity was real or just the aftereffects of whatever she’d been zapped with. Not that she had much time to think on it before a couple of them unshackled her from the chair and dragged her away from the table. 

“Vile, loathsome wench!” R’Kard wheezed. “I was going to give you one last peaceful night before your execution, but you just changed my mind. Now, you’re going to be the first to experience my new garden. Take her!” The guards cuffed her hands behind her back and dragged her out of the dining room before she could even think of protesting. Kara thought she heard Spartaca trying to argue, but her ‘escorts’ moved too fast for her to be sure. They took her back the way she’d come up, but instead of returning to the cell block, she found herself being pulled in the opposite direction, ending in a room that looked almost identical to the one at R’Kard’s compound. Just with even more advanced implements. Kara’s ‘escorts’ dragged her over to a metal post in the middle of the room and shoved her against it face-first, uncuffing her hands and re-attaching the cuffs on the other side of said post. It went all the way from the floor to the ceiling, leaving absolutely no way to escape. Especially since the cuffs seemed to be attached to some kind of hook. Moments later, footsteps approached, and a massive hand latched onto her hair, once again yanking her head backwards. R’Kard. “Time to find out what toys I inherited from the late Emperor. He always had the best stuff…better than anything I could afford.” Releasing his grip, R’Kard walked away, returning in about a minute with what appeared to be a fancy taser at the end of a metal rod. “I’ve read about these,” he gloated. “Targets the pain receptors without needing to flood the body with nanites first. Highly experimental. No time like the present to test it out.” The next thing Kara knew was indescribable pain flooding through her entire body…worse than anything R’Kard had been able to dish out with the nanotech. It was all she could do not to give him the satisfaction of hearing her scream. “A promising start,” R’Kard grinned, tossing the rod to one of his guards. “Keep ‘testing’ it until the Captain comes for her or she passes out…whichever comes first. And don’t try getting ‘creative’ with anything else. Don’t want the Kryptonian bleeding to death before I’m ready for the end to come.” 

“Yes, my Lord.”

“Good.” R’Kard patted Kara on the head like a dog before walking away, leaving her to the mercy of his goons. The door barely closed behind him before the pain flooded her body again. And this time, Kara couldn’t stop herself from screaming….

It didn’t take long to lose track of how many times the guards hit her with the pain stick before she finally succumbed to blessed unconsciousness. The next thing she knew was someone shaking her shoulder. Slowly opening her eyes, Kara found herself on her knees, hands still cuffed together and hooked to the post, with Spartaca kneeling next to her. The oddly familiar guard was standing nearby, his face devoid of expression.

“I-it’s time, isn’t it?” Kara finally rasped; voice hoarse from the screaming.

Spartaca nodded. “I’m sorry about your family.”

“They were yours, too. At least, Alex was.”

“Perhaps.”

They fell silent for a few moments before Kara spoke up again. “I-I need you to do something for me.”

“What is it?”

“The Kryptonian prayer for the dead. I’m sure you’ve heard me say it a few times since I’ve been here.” Spartaca looked slightly confused, and Kara sighed. “ _You have been the sun of our lives_ ,” she began. 

Spartaca quickly picked up from there. “ _Our prayers will be the sun that lights your way on the journey home. We will remember you in every dawn. And await the night we join you in the sky. Rao's will be done._ ” Her pronunciation was a bit off, but Kara couldn’t afford to be picky at this point.

“That’s it, more or less. Even without your memories, you’re the closest I have to a surviving female relative. So I need you to say those words when this is all over.”

“Kara….”

The Kryptonian shook her head. “Please. I’m not expecting a proper funeral, or for you to be able to observe the mourning period, but at least give me this much. Don’t let me walk alone in the darkness.”

“Okay,” Spartaca conceded. “I’ll probably get my ass kicked for it, but you deserve at least some peace.”

“Thank you.”

Nodding, the Captain got up and uncuffed Kara from the post. She and the other guard each grabbed an arm and pulled the Kryptonian back to her feet. Kara’s knees buckled almost immediately. “Shit…are you okay?”

“As well as I can be after a night of torture. Just give me a moment.” Kara drew in a few deep breaths, trying her best to ignore the pain still coursing through her body. Whatever R’Kard had planned was undoubtedly much worse. She’d be damned if she let him think he’d beaten her into submission, though. R’Kard may have won, but Kara was determined to go to her end with whatever dignity she had left. The Last Daughter of the House of El didn’t crumble before tyrants. 

With the pain fading to a more manageable level, Kara shakily pushed back to her feet, letting Spartaca and her comrade escort her out of that room. They brought her out of the basement and upstairs, ultimately ending up outside in front of the palace. A crowd had already gathered, along with R’Kard – once again clad in his golden armor and with the lock of her hair still tucked into his belt – and the rest of his guard. None of them looked friendly. Two of the other guards snatched Kara away from Spartaca, ignoring their Captain’s cry of protest. As the crowd jeered, the guards shoved their prisoner to her knees, ripping away the jacket covering her upper body. The ground was muddy, meaning it had probably rained the night before. And the mud seeped straight through her pants. Not that catching a chill would mean much at this point. With a mocking grin, R’Kard dipped a finger into the mud and drew her house crest on the front of the sleeveless white shirt she’d been left in, wiping the excess off on the side of her face. 

“Behold the _great_ rebel leader, Kara Zor-El of the House of El,” he taunted. “About to meet her end, just like the rest of the scum she thought could actually bring this empire down.” As the crowd grew louder in response to his words, R’Kard gestured to his men, two of whom grabbed Kara’s hands and stretched them out to either side. Other guards laid something heavy across her shoulders and bound her arms to it with what felt like leather straps. “Stand her up!” The guards grabbed whatever her arms had been tied to and forced her upright before shoving her forward. It soon became clear that whatever R’Kard planned on doing – and she had a sinking feeling she knew what that was now – would take place outside the city gates. With the crowd growing uglier by the second, Kara stumbled along, the weight sending her back to her knees more than once by the time they walked through those gates. And the sight when they got there was even worse. Like the ending of Spartacus, the road to the city was lined with ‘T’-shaped crosses – one for each Resistance member who’d survived the raid and the march into Mongul City. None of whom looked like they’d died easily. 

As she was forced to the end of the line, Kara found herself going over what she knew about this method. Thankfully, Alex had gone through a phase when they were teens where she’d been morbidly obsessed with death and had made Kara join her in watching a number of documentaries on various ways to die. Including this very subject. Pushing aside her grief for her sister, Kara tried to recall what the documentary had said. There was almost no physical evidence left behind, save for a heelbone in a Jewish ossuary that had a nail through it, so scientists were left to make educated guesses on how any of this worked. Best any of them could figure, death came either from hypovolemic shock – catastrophic blood loss – leading to cardiac arrest, or from asphyxiation caused by hanging from one’s arms. And since Kara hadn’t been beaten bloody beforehand, she had to assume R’Kard meant for her to suffocate, if the elements didn’t get to her first.

When they finally came to a stop, it was in front of an empty post that seemed shorter than the rest. Of course, with War World’s technology, it wouldn’t surprise Kara if the height could be adjusted once she was attached. Not that she had much time to think on it before the guards shoved her back-first to the ground. The impact of her body against whatever she’d been tied to stole her breath for a moment. But Kara barely had time to catch it before the guards untied her wrists and loosened the straps around her elbows, then slid the beam out from under her so it was just over her head. It was colored black and Kara couldn’t tell what it was made of, but she had a feeling there was technology involved there as well. Two guards held each of her hands against the beam while a third straddled her legs.

“Any last words, Kryptonian?”

Kara spat in R’Kard’s face. “Killing me isn’t going to end well for you. The House of El will have justice.”

“Right,” he laughed. Kara watched helplessly as he moved next to her head, grabbing a handful of hair and pulling her close. “ _I_ bombed the palace, Kryptonian,” R’Kard whispered so only she could hear. “I took out my predecessor. You’re just the perfect scapegoat. And thus, my revenge is complete.” Before she could even think of a response, R’Kard pressed something on his bracer and pain shot through her arms, courtesy of metal cuffs that drove sharp spikes into her wrists as they slammed into place. Kara couldn’t stop the scream that ripped from her throat. The cuffs were angled to keep her in the position the guards had laid her out in, with her hands above her head. Kara screamed again as said guards lifted the beam and carried it – and her – over to the post, doing something she couldn’t see to secure it in place. R’Kard pressed another button and the post seemed to grow, raising her high enough that her feet were in line with Spartaca’s head. The straps took some of the weight off her wrists, but it still elicited more cries of pain that she couldn’t bite back. A couple of taller guards grabbed her feet, bending her knees slightly as they held them against either side of the post. Another button press caused something to emerge from the post and envelop them. No spikes this time, but the casing was tight enough to send pain shooting through her lower legs as well. “I suggest you use what time you have left to make peace with your gods,” R’Kard mocked. “You’ll be meeting them soon enough.” With that, he and his guards walked away. Spartaca lingered behind for a moment before running to catch up. Only the oddly familiar one stayed, presumably to make sure no one tried anything (not that there was anyone left who would), along with a camera drone no doubt meant to record her end for posterity. 

And thus her ordeal began. Part of Kara wanted to just give up and let the end come. There was no one left to stay alive for, after all. Even Maggie – Spartaca – didn’t need her. But Kryptonian survival instincts were strong. Kara spent the day alternating between pushing herself up so she could breathe and resting when the strain became too much. But time spent doing the former grew shorter and shorter as the hours passed. Still, she persisted, her body not ready to give up even if some portion of her mind wanted it to be over. She fought for every breath, continuing even as the overcast day gave way to night and the temperature dropped to almost freezing. Which only made her one task that much more difficult. She was just glad that the guard who’d stayed behind seemed to have better things to do than taunt her.

As Kara’s body shivered with cold, a small portal opened up and Spartaca stepped through, her Warhammer strapped to her back. The Captain shared a look with her guard before approaching Kara’s position. “How are you holding up?” Spartaca whispered.

“N-not good. T-tired. C-cold. H-hurts.”

The Captain nodded. “I promised I’d speed things along if I could. And that’s what I’m here to do.” She pulled the hammer from its holder. “This is going to hurt, but it should end everything by morning.”

“T-thank you.”

“A promise is a promise.” Spartaca raised the hammer and swung it against Kara’s lower legs – hard. The Kryptonian screamed as the bones shattered. She could hear Spartaca whispering the prayer for the dead as she disappeared back through the portal, leaving Kara relatively alone once more. And this time, there was no fighting it. With her legs broken, she couldn’t raise herself up to breathe. It didn’t take long for her arms to dislocate from trying to hold up her body weight, and the pressure on her chest made breathing almost impossible. She soon grew lightheaded, likely from the lack of oxygen. As darkness started to encroach on her vision, Kara saw two figures step out from a pool of light. The figures moved a bit closer, revealing themselves. Lena was there, along with….

_“I-ieiu?”_ Kara gasped, her voice barely a whisper. This had to be it. Her family had come to take her to Rao’s Light. She wasn’t sure why Alex was absent, but it was hardly her place to question the will of her god. _“Rao’s…will…be done….”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is that really the end for our hero? Or has help arrived just in the nick of time? Find out next week when we check in with Lena!


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rescue operation begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos and comments so far! On to the next chapter!

_ One week earlier… _

_“Captain, we have an incoming communications request.”_

_Kel-Van’s voice startled Lena from her thoughts, which had been focused almost exclusively on Kara ever since they learned of the massive target the Kryptonian had placed on her own back. She looked at her helmsman and frowned. “Request?”_

_“Whoever sent it is insisting that it’s for your eyes only.”_

_“I see….”_

_“I don’t like this,” Alex chimed in from where she’d been pacing. “It could be a trap.”_

_Lena held up a hand to quiet her second-in-command for a moment. “Kel-Van, can you tell where the ‘request’ originated from?”_

_“War World.”_

_“Definitely a trap,” Alex grumbled._

_Lena shook her head. “Perhaps. But if there’s even a chance whoever’s on the other end can lead us to Kara and Maggie, I have to take it.” She turned to Kel-Van once more. “Re-route it to my office. Alex, you have the bridge. Make sure I’m not disturbed.” Not waiting for the other woman to respond, Lena got up and headed to her private office, ordering the (thanks to Breena) recently repaired and upgraded Jana to lock the door behind her and not let anyone in until she said otherwise. She settled herself behind the desk and brought up the computer interface, activating the visuals for the rest of the ship. Kel-Van and Alex were still on the bridge (the latter pacing and mumbling like she wanted to kill someone, which wasn’t exactly unusual these days), Shy’lo was in the med bay doing what appeared to be inventory, Breena was in engineering (presumably working on getting more speed from the propulsion drives), and Vita was in the cargo bay with Alura, helping the older Kryptonian hone her skills with the powers she could now access thanks to the yellow sun suit Breena created. No one was likely to be wandering by anytime soon. Satisfied that she would be left alone, Lena switched over to communications. There was a bit of static before she found herself staring at a white-haired, blue-skinned alien with three glowing lights in his forehead._

**“Greetings, Captain Luthor. Are you alone?”**

_“I am,” she nodded. “And you are….?”_

**“Apologies. You may call me Dox. I am a Coluan, which is to say a half-computer, half-organic life form. And I am a 12 th-level intellect. If what I have heard about you is true, I believe you would qualify as at least an 8th-level.”**

_“And as fascinating as all that is, would you mind telling me just what the fuck this is about? I don’t have time for games.”_

_Dox winced a bit at the cursing, but quickly composed himself._ **“I am here as an ally of Kara Zor-El.”**

_“Prove it.” Lena wanted to believe him, but wasn’t about to potentially alter their mission on his word alone._

**“She told me once that during one of your early interactions with her, she claimed to have flown to your office on something called a ‘bus.’ Does that mean anything to you?”**

_Lena couldn’t help but chuckle a little at that. “It was one of her considerably less-than-subtle attempts to hide her identity as a Kryptonian from me. My family doesn’t have the greatest history with her people and the two of us were only just starting to become friends. I figured it out on my own, of course, but I didn’t want to push her to tell me anything until she was ready.” She sighed, running a hand down her face. “So, what is it that you didn’t want to tell me about her in front of my crew?”_

_Dox’s expression grew somber._ **“The Resistance has fallen. On Kara’s orders, I escaped along with the noncombatants we were protecting, but the fighters who survived the raid are currently scheduled for execution at the new Emperor’s pleasure. Kara included. In fact, several have already been put to death. But I believe Lord R’Kard intends to kill Kara last.”**

_“Fuck,” Lena breathed, barely managing not to throw up at the thought. Alex’s prediction had been right. “Wait…Lord R’Kard? What happened to Mongul?”_

**“Dead. There was a bombing at the Imperial Palace a few weeks after we released that first video. The ‘official’ story going around is that the Resistance was behind it, but I can assure you that is entirely false. From what I have been able to extrapolate by studying images of the rubble, I believe it was actually an inside job. I just cannot prove it. Not that doing so would help. The Resistance would still be guilty of helping slaves to escape, which is an automatic death sentence on this planet. Lord R’Kard is the individual who purchased Kara and your human friend – Maggie, I believe – from the market on Takron-Galtos, and he used Maggie as a sort of…I think the proper Earth term is ‘trojan horse’…to locate our base and bring us down. That is how he rose to take Lord Mongul’s place.”**

_“So, this new Emperor is planning to kill Kara, and Maggie’s just going along with it?”_

**“I would not go that far. I mean, yes, Lord R’Kard has Kara’s execution planned – as I have already stated several times – but Maggie is not entirely on board. The truth is, Lord R’Kard used nanotechnology to wipe Maggie’s memory. Her general knowledge appears to be intact, but she remembers nothing of her life before War World. She currently goes by ‘Spartaca,’ the name Lord R’Kard gave her before putting her in the Arena. The Resistance rescued her from some overzealous guards shortly before the raid that spelled our end, and – from what I heard while monitoring her conversation with Kara – she seemed interested in finding a way to help us from inside her Master’s compound. But Lord R’Kard apparently injected her with tracking nanites without her knowledge. We made the mistake of assuming the tracker he implanted her with upon her arrival was the only one, as it had been in Kara’s case. If I had been more diligent in assessing the risks of rescuing someone of her status, perhaps we would not be in this situation.”**

_“I wouldn’t beat yourself up over that. The Kara I know would have insisted on trying to save Maggie regardless of your assessment. And I doubt you could have stopped her.” Lena sighed. “So, is ‘Spartaca’ someone we can count on as an ally to help us save Kara?”_

_Dox shook his head._ **“The moment Lord R’Kard was proclaimed Emperor, he told the public that Spartaca had ‘heroically’ infiltrated the Resistance and led his men right to their base. An obvious lie. But, based on that story, he ‘rewarded’ his Champion by setting her free and naming her Captain of the Imperial Guard. I do not believe it was actually meant as a reward, however. More than likely, her supposed promotion is a means of either saving face and preventing the populace from learning that their beloved Champion actually sympathized with the rebels, or of keeping her even closer to him. Possibly both. Regardless, I do not believe she is currently in a position to be of aid even if she wanted to.”**

_“Shit,” Lena grumbled, running her hands through her hair in frustration. “I guess I can understand now why you only wanted to speak with me.”_

**“Yes,”** _Dox nodded._ **“My conversations with Kara about her family strongly suggested that her sister would not react well to such news. Especially not when it is delivered by a stranger. You, on the other hand, are far more logical and even-tempered. Which is why I hope you will hear me out regarding the plan I have developed to rescue both Kara and Maggie.”**

_Lena frowned, already not liking where this was heading. Still…it wouldn’t hurt to give him a chance to speak. “Fine. What is this grand plan of yours?”_

**“We allow things to play out and move in to get them once Lord R’Kard believes he has won.”**

_“You mean let Kara die.”_

**“Temporarily, yes.”**

_“And exactly how do you propose we bring her back?”_

_Dox frowned._ **“Your ship is of Thanagarian origin, is it not?”**

_“It is.”_

**“Then you should most certainly possess the resources to revive Kara once you have her on board. Though I must warn you, yellow solar energy will not help. Lord R’Kard used nanotechnology on Kara as well, only in her case it was designed to give him control over her powers when he allowed her to access them via exposure to yellow sunlight. When we removed the implant that connected the nanotech to his controls, it set the nanites to their ‘default,’ which prevents her from metabolizing energy from the yellow sun. The nanites will need to be purged from her system before she will be able to heal as she was meant to.”**

_“Wait…you want us to just sit back and let Kara die, without being able to use yellow sunlamps to help bring her back? Are you out of your fucking mind?”_

**“The Thanagarian technology should be sufficient to bring her back and keep her stable until you find a means of extracting the nanites.”**

_“And why shouldn’t we just go down there and snatch her out of whatever hellhole this R’Kard is keeping her in_ before _he can finish the job?”_

**“I have calculated the odds, Captain Luthor. If you do things the way I am suggesting, there is a 93.58% chance of successfully rescuing both of them. Trying to get to her before that point reduces that chance to a mere 37.49%.”**

_“Based on what?” Lena challenged._

**“Kara is being heavily guarded, which I know for a fact because I have actually infiltrated the Imperial Guard.”** _He pressed the center of his forehead and Lena watched his appearance shift to that of a gray-skinned alien. Another press returned him to his true form._ **“I have gained access to the systems, but ever since we brought Kara into the Resistance, Lord R’Kard has become increasingly paranoid. Any attempt to alter his systems from within will alert him that something is off and we will most certainly fail. I am only able to communicate with you now because I found a dead zone in the Palace’s security measures. But it will not last long…perhaps a few hours at most.”**

_Lena scowled. “Right. And I don’t suppose there’s any way to fake her death?”_

**“We already did so once when we got her away from Lord R’Kard. He will not be deceived a second time. But I do have access to his means of monitoring her vitals and will gladly share that with you so that you may time your intervention precisely. And once Lord R’Kard believes he is victorious, he will drop his guard, giving your people an opportunity to infiltrate the Imperial Palace and find Maggie as well.”**

_“Fine,” Lena nodded. She still didn’t like it, but if Dox was right about the odds it was their best shot. “So why don’t you walk me through it from the start….”_

_It took nearly two hours of discussion and refinement to come up with what Lena deemed an acceptable plan. But definitely not one she could pull off alone – especially not in the six days or so they had before reaching War World’s orbit. Which is why, after terminating communication with Dox (but not before ensuring she had a way of contacting him again if need be despite the high security at his location), Lena called the rest of the crew together for a meeting._

_“So how bad is it?” Alex asked, not even giving her a chance to start things properly._

_Lena sighed. “The situation is…complicated. Maggie doesn’t remember anything about her life prior to ending up there, and according to my contact the memory loss is due to some nanotechnology her so-called Master forced into her system. The same nanotech that is currently preventing Kara’s system from metabolizing yellow sunlight. It doesn’t matter much now, given War World’s red sun, but it means we can’t use solar lamps to help her when we get her back.”_

_“And why would we need solar lamps?” Alex thought for a moment, then scowled. “What kind of trouble is she in?”_

_“It seems the Resistance is no more. Most of the people involved have been either captured or killed. Kara is still alive, for now, but she’s in custody and it’s only a matter of time before they make an example of her.”_

_“Fuck!” Alex snarled, slamming her metal hand into the table hard enough to put cracks in it. “Please tell me we can get there in time.”_

_“My contact assures me we have about a week before anything happens. Enough time to get us there if we push the_ Liberator _at top speed. In the meantime, we have to prepare…make sure we’re ready to put the plan into motion as soon as I get the signal.” Dox said he would find a way to get himself close enough to monitor the situation and let her know when the time was right. Which meant when Kara’s vitals – which Lena would also be monitoring on the private channel she’d already had Jana set up – started to plummet. Not that Alex needed to know all the details._

_Alex opened her mouth as if to argue, but Alura put a hand on her shoulder. “What do you need us to do?” the older Kryptonian asked softly._

_“This is actually going to be two missions, which will be run separately and compartmentalized. That way if things go south…well…you can’t tell anyone what you don’t know.” She turned to Alex. “Commander Danvers,” she began, absently noting the way her fellow human unconsciously straightened up in response to the formal address. “You will be running point on infiltrating the Imperial Palace and locating Maggie. My contact has provided me with all the information you’ll need. I want you to take Vita with you to the surface when I give you the order. Breena, make sure the transmat portal you’ve been putting together in the cargo bay is up and running by the time we reach War World. It’ll be our only way past the planet’s defense grid.”_

_“Will do,” the Kryptonian engineer nodded._

_Alex frowned. “And what about Kara?”_

_“I will handle her extraction personally.”_

_“Lee….”_

_Drawing in a deep breath, Lena pulled Alex to the side. “Look,” she whispered. “I know you want to protect your sister. But Maggie needs you.”_

_“According to you, she doesn’t even remember who I am.”_

_“She will, once we find a way to purge the nanotech from her system. But that’s not the point. You’re all she has out here. Kara…she has Alura and I to look out for her. But none of us know Maggie the way you do. Hell, the only interaction I’ve ever had with your fiancé was when she arrested me for allegedly helping my so-called mother escape prison. You’re the one most invested in her safe return. So you need to be the one to get her. Can you do that, Alex? Can you focus on rescuing Maggie and trust that I’ll take care of your sister?” Alex fell silent for a few moments before finally nodding. “Good.” Satisfied, Lena returned to the table and picked up a data pad, quickly downloading what Dox had provided to aid the team infiltrating the palace. She handed the pad to Alex. “You and Vita find a space to start working out your plan. The armory, perhaps. In the meantime, the rest of us will start preparing to rescue Kara.”_

_“You’re kicking me out?”_

_“Compartmentalization, remember? Now go.”_

_“Fine,” Alex grumbled. “But if anything happens to my sister….”_

_“You’ll have my head. I know. Trust me…everything will be fine.”_

_“I’m holding you to that.” With that, Alex turned and left, gesturing for Vita to follow. Once the two were out of earshot, Lena moved in closer to the others._

_“First off, I’m not going to lie to any of you, but I need everyone to hear me out before raising any objections. I’ve already worked through most of the issues you’ll probably have, because I have the same ones. I_ hate _what this is going to mean for Kara. But my contact sent me all of his data, and between Jana and myself, we calculated the odds of success for each possible plan. The one he suggested really is our best chance of getting them both back. It’s just going to mean a lot of pain for Kara.” Lena sighed. “If any of you want to back out, I understand. Just don’t say anything to Alex because I need her focused, and she won’t be if she has even the slightest idea of what our plan is going to involve.”_

_The table fell silent for a few moments before Alura finally drew in a deep breath and met Lena’s eyes. “I don’t like the idea of my daughter being in pain for any reason. But if it’s our best chance of getting both her and your other friend back, I cannot let you bear that burden alone. What do you need us to do?” As she spoke, the others nodded agreement._

_“This is going to require a lot of preparation and incredibly precise timing. One misstep could cost us everything.” She pulled up the data Dox had provided and projected it in the middle of the table. “Here’s how this will work….”_

Present

“Rao above,” Alura gasped from beside her. And Lena herself had no words besides a few muttered prayers to whatever saints might be inclined to intervene, on the off chance that might actually work. For all the time they’d spent going over Dox’s data and preparing for the injuries Kara would likely have, it was still a shock to see the former superhero hanging from a cross like some kind of martyr. 

Alura instinctively started forward and Lena had to hold her back. There was still a camera drone hovering to capture Kara’s demise. All the while Lena’s earpiece was feeding her the Kryptonian’s heart monitor. She listened as the beats slowed until there was nothing but a high-pitched whine indicating that Kara had flatlined. The drone stayed in the area for a few seconds more before flying off. And the second it was gone, Alura – clad in the solar suit – sped over to the cross and started pulling at the restraints holding her daughter in place. The straps supporting her elbows tore like paper, but the metal ones wouldn’t budge. A moment later, a ‘guard’ Lena immediately recognized as Dox approached, touching his fingers together and closing his eyes. The restraints suddenly popped open – presumably due to whatever Dox had just done – and Alura quickly moved to grab Kara’s body, cradling it in her arms. Blood oozed from Kara’s wrists and her legs looked odd, like they’d been broken. Not good.

“Shy’lo,” Lena ordered, having switched her earpiece to the second private channel she’d set up – this one just for the team working Kara’s rescue. “We’ve got her. Alura is coming in now.”

**_“The med bay is ready, Captain.”_ **

“Good.” She nodded to Alura and opened the portal, watching as the older Kryptonian carried her daughter through. Breena had set up a second gateway in the wall just across from the med bay so they wouldn’t waste any time. Inside the med bay would have been preferable, frankly, but there just wasn’t enough space without compromising the medical tech they’d need. Trusting that everyone else would do their jobs, Lena turned to Dox. “Is R’Kard distracted?”

“There is a full-scale riot going on outside the Imperial Palace, sparked by the apparent death of Kara Zor-El. It seems the mob turned when they saw what she suffered, though I admit I may have prodded things along in that direction just a little. Suffice it to say, his focus will not be on your team.”

“I hope you’re right.” Lena switched channels again, this time to the one Alex was on. “Your mission is a go.”

**_“Is Kara—?”_ **

“We’ve got her, Alex. Go get your girl.” She shut down her coms and turned back to Dox. Now that everything was moving according to plan, there was no reason to keep playing nice. Lena stalked over to the Coluan and punched him right in the jaw, knocking him to the ground. The illusion faded and she was once again looking at his true face.

“What was that for?”

“I don’t like you,” Lena snapped. “And I hate that I let you convince me to put Kara through that hell.”

“It was the only way….”

“I know! Doesn’t mean I have to like it.” She grabbed the front of his (probably) stolen armor and hauled him back up, pulling him close. “If Kara doesn’t make it through this, I will take _immense_ pleasure in figuring out how to dismantle you so I can sell the parts for scrap. Understand?” Dox nodded and Lena released her grip. “Good. Now come on.”

“I can join you on your ship?”

Lena nodded. “Not liking you doesn’t mean I’m willing to abandon you to the animals running this place. So, are you coming or what?” She opened another portal and shoved him in before he had a chance to respond, then jumped in right behind him. Moments later, she found herself in the cargo bay – a choice she’d made deliberately, not wanting the walking computer to disturb Shy’lo’s work on Kara. “Alright…I’m going to go check on my friend. You can stay right here until I can find you some quarters.” Lena started to walk away, only to have the Coluan grab her arm. “What?”

“Something I did not account for occurred the night before the execution. Your medic should probably know about it, in case it affects Kara’s treatment.”

“Tell me.”

Dox shook his head. “It would be easier for me to bring the data to your medic myself. I promise not to interfere.”

“Fine,” Lena sighed. “But as soon as you’re done, I’m having you escorted someplace where you can’t cause trouble.”

“I understand.”

“Good. So why didn’t you bring this up before we set our plan into motion?”

“There was no opportunity to do so…not without arousing suspicion. Even when I was standing out there alone to ‘guard’ her while it was happening, I could not risk actively communicating because I could not be sure R’Kard had no way of listening in. Hacking into the system he used to monitor her vitals and sharing the feed with you was dangerous enough.”

“That’s fair,” Lena conceded. “But now Shy’lo needs to know what you know. So, let’s go.” She headed out of the cargo bay with Dox on her heels, making her way to the med bay. Alura was pacing the corridor outside, obviously having been kicked out so Shy’lo could work without Kara’s mother hovering. “How is she?”

Alura shook her head. “I don’t know. Shy’lo turned on some device that keeps me from listening in, even with the sun suit active.”

“Right.” Lena activated her coms again and switched them back to Shy’lo’s channel. “I need an update.”

**_“And I need to be able to work without people questioning me every five minutes,”_** the Thoronian snapped.

“Is that any way to speak to your Captain?”

**_“It is when your friend’s life is in my hands.”_ **

“Fine,” Lena sighed. “But my contact has some information that could be critical.”

**_“Then send him in and let me work.”_** Shy’lo shut down her end of the coms without waiting for a response.

“Dox, go on in. And be quick.”

“Yes, Captain Luthor.” He disappeared into the med bay and Alura turned to Lena with a disapproving expression.

“How could you trust a _Coluan_ with something this important?”

Lena frowned. “I’m not entirely fond of Dox either, but I won’t write someone off just because of who they are. That’s what my family does. I’m not like them.”

“And I understand that, but Coluans are dangerous. Especially the Brainiac clan. ‘Dox’ is a common surname for Brainiacs, who are among the evilest beings in the universe.”

“People say the same things about Luthors on Earth.” Lena sighed. “I understand where you’re coming from, Alura, but I judge everyone on their own merits, not their family name. Your daughter taught me that. So as long as Dox remains helpful, I’m willing to put my personal dislike of him aside and give him the benefit of the doubt, and I would appreciate it if you did the same.” Before either of them could say anything further, Dox emerged from the med bay. “Any news?”

“Kara’s vitals are weak, but she is alive and Shy’lo is optimistic. Once she finishes re-evaluating Kara based on the new data I provided, Shy’lo will move her into a healing pod to keep her stable until the ship returns to Argo City…wherever that is.”

Lena frowned. “That’s all you’ve got.”

“Shy’lo will provide more details when she finishes her work. I assume you would like me to go somewhere else now.”

“I would,” Lena nodded. “Alura, would you mind finding some quarters for our new friend?”

“I’m sure I can come up with something.” Alura clapped a hand down on Dox’s shoulder hard enough to make him wince and led him down the corridor. Once they were gone, Lena slid down the wall next to the med bay door and dropped her head into her hands, finally giving into the emotions she’d been holding back for a week. She’d had a lifetime of practice pushing her feelings into little boxes, but seeing Kara like that had been utterly heartbreaking, to the point where the boxes just weren’t holding any longer. Lena was a little surprised she’d managed to keep it together this long. From the brief glimpse she’d gotten before Alura took her away, Kara had been pale, malnourished, and most of her hair had been crudely chopped off. The mocking ‘S’ drawn on the front of her shirt just drove home even further how cruel the rulers of that God-forsaken planet were…. 

“Captain?” a voice asked quietly. Lena glanced up to see Shy’lo standing there. She quickly wiped at her eyes and stood up, idly checking her timepiece as she did. It had been more than an hour since her talk with Dox, meaning she must have fallen asleep.

“How’s Kara?”

Shy’lo sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. “I was able to use this ship’s technology to get her brain and heart functioning again. Thankfully, she wasn’t down very long, but we won’t know for certain if there will be any brain damage from the oxygen deprivation until she regains consciousness.”

“And how likely is it that there will be damage?”

“I don’t know. It depends on how well yellow solar radiation can restore her systems once we extricate the nanites from her blood. The healers on Argo would be able to tell us more. Kryptonian and Thoronian brains are similar, but there are differences that I’m not really that knowledgeable about. Never had much reason to learn before now.”

“Fair enough,” Lena sighed. “Other than that, how is she?”

“I repaired what damage I could. Her legs were the worst. If the sun can’t heal them after we restore her ability to metabolize it, she’ll have a long recovery ahead of her. There was also nerve damage in her wrists from the spikes and some fluid built up in her lungs. Not to mention that her shoulder and elbow joints had dislocated from trying to support her body weight. The lack of proper food took its toll on her body as well.”

“Right.” It was all Lena could do not to portal back down there and rip this R’Kard apart with her bare hands. “So, what did Dox have to add?”

“It seems that they tortured her the night before putting her up on that cross. Some sort of experimental device designed to target her body’s pain receptors. Dox said they used it on her until she passed out. I don’t believe it’ll have any long-term effects, but it certainly left her even weaker than she would’ve already been when they staked her out there. Someone breaking her legs was what ultimately ended it, but even if that hadn’t happened, I doubt she would’ve lasted too much longer. Another day at most.” Shy’lo sighed, running a hand down her face. “She’s in the healing pod Breena constructed, which should keep her stable until we return to Argo. I used some of Breena’s experimental nanotech metal to create casts for her limbs, since the tech will allow me to remove them as the pod does its work without having to open it. I don’t expect the bones in her legs repaired, given the pod’s limitations, but I’m hoping it will at least strengthen her joints to fix the dislocations and prevent them from recurring. And I’m giving her nutritional supplements through a device inserted into her stomach to try and get her strength back up as the pod restores some of her lost muscle mass.”

“Can I see her?”

“Of course. Alura is in there, but I’m sure she wouldn’t mind giving you a few moments alone.”

“Thank you,” Lena nodded. “Any word from Alex?”

Shy’lo shook her head. “Last anyone heard, she and Vita were working their way in through the rubble of the damaged wing. I’m sure we’ll get an update soon.”

“Let me know as soon as you do.” With that, Lena headed into the medical bay. The healing pod was up against the wall, taking the place of one of the diagnostic chairs, and Alura had pulled a normal chair up next to it. As soon as she saw Lena, the older Kryptonian stood.

“I think I shall go get something to eat. Take your time.” Alura walked over and squeezed her shoulder gently. _“El-Mayara,”_ she whispered before exiting the med bay. Stronger together. Lena only knew a few Kryptonese words and phrases, but that had been one of the first she’d memorized, seeing as it was the meaning behind the crest Kara had always worn so proudly. The real one, not the mockery her captors had drawn on her chest before hanging her up like a piece of meat. Forcing down her anger at the situation, Lena made her way over to the pod. The front was clear, giving her a perfect view of the patient inside. Kara was floating in a translucent liquid specially formulated to aid in healing, and Lena knew that part of the process of setting her up inside involved introducing that liquid into her lungs to facilitate breathing through it instead of having to use an oxygen mask. Shy’lo had changed her out of the clothes she’d been wearing on that cross and into something resembling a black sports bra and bike shorts. A tube snaked out from a metal disc on her abdomen, presumably to provide the nutritional supplements Shy’lo had mentioned, and Lena could see faint pink scars where the dermal regenerator had closed the holes in her wrists, as well as the two sets of nanotech metal casts she’d been told about; one set extending from Kara’s shoulders to her forearms to hold her joints in place, and the other going from just above her knees to the balls of her feet to keep the broken calf bones aligned.

Fighting back tears, Lena put a hand on the cold glass separating her from Kara. “You can fight this,” she whispered, not caring how clichéd it sounded. “You’re one of the strongest people I know.” With a heavy sigh, she leaned her forehead against the glass. “Come back to me, _zhao_ …please.” Breena had told her that ‘ _zhao_ ’ was the closest Kryptonese term for love in the romantic sense and, at this point, Lena saw no more reason to hold back how she felt. Not after coming so close to losing Kara forever…which could still happen if the Kryptonians couldn’t fix the damage R’Kard inflicted. She glanced back up at Kara’s face. The former superhero looked so peaceful despite the trauma she must have endured. Trauma that Lena could’ve stopped. “I’m so sorry, Kara,” she sobbed, unable to hold the tears back any longer. “I should’ve come for you sooner. Instead, I let Dox convince me to wait…to let you go through that hell thinking you’d been abandoned. Pull through this, and I swear to all the Kryptonian gods that I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure you never feel alone again.”

“My daughter really means a lot to you, doesn’t she?”

Lena looked away from the pod to find that Alura had rejoined her. “H-how much did you hear?”

“Enough to know just how much you care for her.” With a warm smile, she moved close and gently squeezed Lena’s shoulder once more. “For what it’s worth, I couldn’t think of a better partner for Kara. When the time is right, you have my blessing to court her.”

“Even after all of this?”

Alura nodded. “You didn’t make this decision lightly, Lena. And from what I’ve learned about you over the course of our journey from Argo City, you would never have agreed to any plan that would harm Kara if you didn’t think that the end result would far outweigh that harm, or if there was any other feasible way to have retrieved everyone we came here for without having to let her go through it.”

“Maybe,” Lena sighed, still not completely convinced. “Will the healers on Argo be able to fix this?”

“They fixed Alex, and her injuries would have killed her had you landed someplace without our advances. It won’t be easy, and those nanites may cause some problems, but I’m confident that our healers can bring her back to us, healthy and whole.”

“I hope you’re right, Alura.” Lena started to move away from the pod, only to have Alura catch her when her legs gave out. “I’m fine,” she insisted, even as she tried and failed to get back to her feet.

“You’ve been working yourself to exhaustion for weeks. Barely eating, sleeping maybe a few hours every other night (if that), and you’re even paler than usual. I’m not surprised it’s finally catching up to you. You need to sleep.”

“I can’t. Kara…Alex….”

Alura frowned. “Kara is essentially in stasis until we return to Argo, and Alex can handle herself. But you’ll be no good to anyone if you collapse into unconsciousness.”

“I’m the Captain.”

“I know. But as your potential future mother-in-law, I’m ordering you to get yourself to bed. Either I can take you back to your quarters, or bring Shy’lo back in here to strap you down to one of those diagnostic chairs and pump you full of sedatives. Your call.”

“My quarters,” Lena conceded, not wanting to be drugged. “If anything happens with Alex….”

“I will wake you immediately.” Not waiting for a response, Alura scooped her up and carried her through the corridors to her private quarters, depositing her on the bed. Lena was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So they've got Kara back and in a healing pod to recover. Now they just have to get Maggie. Find out next week if they succeed in Alex's next chapter!


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex's half of the rescue mission. TW for suicide attempt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos and comments so far! Now for the Sanvers reunion (the first part, anyway). Enjoy!

**_< Do you see anything?>_ **

Alex nearly jumped out of her skin before remembering the mental link Breena had helped her and Vita set up using Kryptonian technology, since it would be far easier to maintain the stealth required for this mission without speaking out loud. They had a link with Shy’lo as well, in case someone needed medical attention, but otherwise they were on their own until the mission was complete. At any rate, the link was definitely going to take some getting used to. 

**_< Nothing yet,>_** she responded from her position behind a broken pillar. They’d been searching the rubble for a way into the basement that was supposed to be located beneath the west wing. Based on the destruction she could see, said basement was probably as damaged as the floors above, but getting into the palace would be easier from below than it would be trying to break in from the ground floor. Even with the riot going on in the city square. Alex thought she heard rioters calling out Kara’s name but forced herself to ignore it, trusting that Lena had everything well in hand on that front. Instead, she focused her attention on the rubble. A half-rotted arm stuck out from between a couple of smashed stones, and from the smell she had no doubt there were more parts scattered throughout. **_< Fuck…whoever did this made a real fucking mess.>_**

**_< You don’t think it was your sister, do you?>_ **

****

**_< Definitely not. Kara isn’t a murderer. No…this was someone else.>_** Unable to see anything useful with her normal vision, Alex quickly glanced around to make sure they were alone. **_< Dropping out of camouflage mode for a minute. Keep an eye out and alert me if anyone is getting close.>_**

****

**_< Understood.>_ **

****

With one last quick look around, Alex dropped her armor out of camouflage mode and retracted her helmet, simultaneously activating her right eye’s new x-ray vision capability. Theoretically, she could use it with her full armor still on, but it caused her enough headaches without staring through a HUD readout at the same time. Alex carefully scanned the rubble until her eye picked up on a gaping hole about 100 feet north of their position. **_< Got it,>_** she declared, returning to normal vision as she put her helmet back up and returned the armor to camouflage mode. **_< It’s north of here, but we’re probably going to have to move some of the rubble out of the way.>_**

****

**_< No problem. Lead the way.>_ **

Nodding, Alex picked her way through the rubble, ignoring the scattered body parts as she closed in on her target. Unfortunately, it was – as predicted – covered by more rubble. Large chunks of building, in fact. As soon as Vita joined her, Alex activated the strength enhancers in her armor and the two of them started moving the chunks aside as quietly as they could manage, stopping once they’d cleared enough space to slip down into the building. Or drop in, more accurately, as the spot was less of an entrance and more of an area where the ceiling had been destroyed. Once they were both steady on the floor, they dropped out of camouflage mode for the final time, Alex retracting her helmet and switching her right eye to night vision. Which wasn’t quite as headache-inducing as usual since the space was almost pitch-black, rendering her normal eye useless anyway. Vita kept her helmet on, presumably to use the night-vision function already built in. Alex also retracted the armor covering her left forearm so that she’d have weapons handy if need be (one of the compromises required by the armor’s inability to fully integrate with the tech in her arm), while her comrade drew the small pistol she’d hidden in her armor. The room they were currently in seemed fairly empty, so Alex glanced down at her right forearm, where a copy of the building schematics Lena’s contact had provided appeared over top the armor. It was supposed to be able to track their position in the building, but at the moment she couldn’t find their location. **_< Shit.>_**

**_< What?>_ **

****

**_< Either the tracker isn’t working, or this area isn’t on the schematic we got.>_ **

****

**_< Which means we’re _really _on our own. >_**

****

**_< Exactly.>_** Alex drew in a deep breath and looked around, finally spotting a door at the opposite end of the room from where they stood. **_< We’re going to take this room by room until we find a way out of the basement. Hopefully, once we’re above ground the tracker will kick back in.>_** Not waiting for a response, Alex made her way over to the door, opening it and moving into the next room with Vita following behind. This one was a lab containing at least a few dozen pods and was far more damaged than the room they’d just left. Curiosity getting the best of her, Alex slipped over to one of them and wiped at the grime on the glass. Inside were the remains of a large, yellow-skinned alien – one resembling the images she’d seen of Mongul. The next was the same. And the one after that. _‘So that’s how he did it….’_ She knew Lena had been wondering how War World’s now-former Emperor managed what appeared to be some form of immortality. Now they had an answer. 

**_< Over here!>_ **

Abandoning the dead clones, Alex quickly made her way to Vita’s position. **_< What did you find?>_**

****

**_< Explosive residue. And this.>_** Vita held up what appeared to be the remains of an incendiary device.

**_< Which means that this lab was the target of the bombing all along. It had to be an inside job.>_ **

****

**_< Most likely,>_** Vita agreed. **_< But it’s their problem, not ours.>_**

****

**_< Right.>_** Using the camera Breena had added to her eye (along with a few other mission-critical upgrades), Alex made sure to capture as much of the damaged lab as she could see before the two of them moved on. One never knows when that information could come in handy. If nothing else, Lena would want proof of Mongul’s secret, moot as the point was now. 

Once Alex was finished with the lab, the pair continued moving through the basement, eventually finding their way to a set of stairs that led up to the first floor. And as soon as they emerged from that stairwell, the tracker on Alex’s schematic lit up, placing them in the central hall. **_< Now what?>_** Vita asked.

**_< Is your copy of the schematic working?>_** As Alex spoke, Vita glanced down at her arm, then nodded. **_< Good. It’s time we split up. According to the information Lena handed us, the defense grid operations are on the top floor of this section. You head up there and try to disable the grid so the escapees her contact mentioned can take the ship in their hidden bunker and get off of this God-forsaken rock. And while you’re doing that, I’ll search the east wing for Maggie. Her quarters should be on the third floor, just below the Emperor’s rooms.>_**

****

**_< Safe journey, Commander,>_** Vita nodded before switching back to camouflage mode and heading further upstairs.

**_< You too.>_** With that, Alex switched her right eye to the thermal scanner and started towards the east wing, making sure to keep to the shadows. Even with the riot going on, there were still a lot of servants and such wandering about. She kept her left eye closed to try and stave off the headache that would no doubt come from trying to reconcile two different types of visual input. The thermal scans were enough to tell her which areas to avoid as she moved through the palace. 

Alex carefully worked her way up two floors and down the main corridor of the third, stopping every so often to switch off the thermal scanner so she could check her progress against the schematic. The corridor had a lot of smaller ones branching off, but she had to be closing in on Maggie’s location. She could practically feel it….

A woman’s scream rent the air, coming from the direction Alex was already heading. Gut twisting with dread, the former agent dropped all pretense of stealth and sprinted towards it, switching from thermal to x-ray as she ran. The scan showed someone holding a second person in their arms – only the second one didn’t seem to be moving. Returning the right eye to normal vision and using the armor’s enhancers for one last burst of speed, Alex quickly reached the door and kicked it open, finding an ebony-skinned, silver-haired alien cradling an all-too-familiar human body. And both of them were wearing what basically amounted to lingerie. “What did you do?” she snarled, just barely able to push her anger aside and remember to activate the armor’s universal translator before she spoke.

“I-I didn’t,” the woman protested, shaking her head. “I just…she…I don’t know….”

Switching her right eye to the medical scanner Breena had installed, Alex shoved the other woman aside and laid Maggie out on the floor. Her fiancé seemed to be bleeding from deep vertical cuts down both forearms, wrist to elbow (the one on her left bisecting a symbol that had been burned into her flesh, as though she were a cow purchased at auction), and Alex spotted a bloody dagger on the floor just a few feet away. Forcing herself to focus, she laid her right hand on Maggie’s throat while running her scan. The smaller woman just barely had a pulse and was losing blood fast. And the scan seemed to indicate that the wounds were self-inflicted. 

“Stay with me, Sawyer,” she growled softly. “You don’t get to fucking die on me…not like this.” Concentrating on her metal hand, Alex turned her index finger into a cauterizing tool. Not as neat as a dermal regenerator, but they didn’t have time for the latter to work properly. Maggie couldn’t afford to lose any more blood. Straddling her fiancé’s waist, Alex went to work, sealing one wound, then the other. Maggie instinctively bucked and writhed in pain, but Alex continued holding her down until she finished. At which point the smaller woman went still and the medical scanner couldn’t find a heartbeat. “No…” She moved off Maggie’s waist and put her right hand on her throat again, but this time there didn’t seem to be a pulse. The other woman moved in as well, throwing herself across Maggie’s chest as she sobbed. Alex wanted to ask just who the hell this woman thought she was, but that could wait. Maggie wasn’t gone…not yet. Not if Alex had anything to say. “Move,” she snarled, already turning her palm into a makeshift defibrillator. The woman didn’t budge. “I said fucking clear!” She shoved the woman away with her right hand before putting the left on Maggie’s chest and initiating a low-level shock. Maggie’s body arched up as the electricity went through her, but scans indicated that nothing had changed. So, Alex turned up the voltage and tried again. And again. It took three more tries before Maggie’s heartbeat finally returned. “Thank you,” Alex whispered to whatever deity might be listening. Moments later, Maggie started to stir, her eyes fluttering open.

“Kitty….”

Alex felt her heart shatter as the reality of the situation finally hit home. This time, it was the other woman – ‘Kitty,’ she presumed – who shoved _her_ aside to get to Maggie. “I’m here, my Champion.”

Nodding weakly, Maggie glanced around, eyes finally landing on Alex. “Do…do I know you?”

“Sort of,” Alex responded, forcing herself not to cry. Now wasn’t the time. Not with Maggie’s vitals still reading erratically. “We can talk about that later. Right now, you need help. You’d have died if I hadn’t gotten here in time. I can get you out of here right now, and my ship’s medic can finish what I started. You never have to come back to this planet again if you don’t want to.”

Maggie didn’t respond, and it looked like she was starting to fade again. Her companion looked right at Alex. “Do it. Make sure she’s safe.”

“I will.” Pulling the portal device from her boot, Alex activated her end and carefully lifted Maggie from the floor. **_< Shy’lo, have someone meet me in the cargo bay. I’ve got Maggie, but she needs medical attention. She lost a lot of blood from two self-inflicted wounds in her wrists, and her vitals are erratic.>_** Not waiting for a response, Alex carried her fiancé through the portal. Breena was already there, an anti-grav pallet on hand as a makeshift gurney. She gently laid Maggie on top of it. “Take care of her, Breena.”

“Where are you going?”

“To ensure that the fucker who made her do this to herself can never hurt anyone ever again.” She reactivated the portal and jumped back through, only to find Maggie’s quarters a mess and ‘Kitty’ missing. Not that Alex particularly cared for the woman clearly attempting to usurp her position in Maggie’s life. But Maggie wouldn’t be happy if anything happened to her. Shoving her jealousy aside, Alex focused on assessing the scene. There were clear signs of a struggle. Wherever ‘Kitty’ went, it wasn’t by choice. **_< Vita, how are things coming with the defense grid?>_**

****

**_< It’s been down for the past 10 minutes.>_ **

****

**_< Good. Are you still in the system?>_ **

****

**_< I am. What do you need?>_ **

****

**_< Get into the security feeds and tell me what happened in Maggie’s quarters after I took her through the portal.>_ **

****

**_< Hang on.>_** The link went silent for several moments as Alex continued scanning the room. Unfortunately, even the upgrades in her eye couldn’t pick up anything useful. **_< Okay. It looks like a group of guards busted in there right after you went through. The woman inside gave them hell, but they still ended up dragging her off. I tracked their movements and it appears that the Emperor has her upstairs in his room. There are still rioters outside, so he’s probably not planning to go anywhere else. Not sure what the Emperor is doing, since there’s no audio, but I doubt it’s anything good.>_**

****

**_< Right. Send the location to my schematic.>_ **

****

**_< Of course, Commander. Do you need backup?>_ **

****

**_< Thanks, but I can handle this myself. I need you to keep searching through the system…find whatever evidence you can of the Emperor’s corruption. When the time is right, we’ll release it so that the people here will know the truth.> _ **

****

**_< You know I’m not a hacker, right?>_ **

****

**_< You were good enough to bypass the security for the Delosian mining colony and get us a back way in. Without Ric’s help, I might add. You’ll be fine.>_ **

****

**_< Whatever. I’ll get the dirt. Just promise me I can get back to the ass-kicking wherever we go after our Argo pit stop.>_ **

****

Alex frowned. **_< You’re not going back to your homeworld?>_**

****

**_< My sister is dead, and I’ve got no one left there. You guys are my family now.> _**There were a few moments of awkward silence. **_< Look, just do whatever it is you’re planning. I’ll have the information ready to release as soon as you give the signal.>_**

****

**_< Okay. And for the record, Vita, I’m honored you consider us family.>_ **

****

**_< The honor is mine. Good luck, Commander.>_ **

****

**_< You too.> _**Shutting down the link, Alex put the armor’s helmet back up, using its somewhat less advanced visual settings to give her an advantage. Her eye was better, but the mental adjustments she’d need to make as she worked would make taking the guards down more difficult. She scanned the floor she was on and found it empty. Glancing up and switching her helmet to x-ray, Alex spotted about half a dozen pacing the floor above. She slipped up the nearest stairwell, pausing in the shadows of the next landing to scan the corridor beyond. A total of 9 guards, plus several figures in what she assumed to be the Emperor’s room, one of which was clearly not there by choice. **_< Any chance you could kill the lights on the fourth-floor corridor of the east wing? And I mean just the corridor. Don’t want to tip this fucker off.>_**

****

Vita didn’t respond, but moments later the lights died, and Alex could hear guards starting to panic. She switched the helmet to night vision (which wasn’t as clear as the one in her eye, but it would suffice). Her left arm was still exposed, and as Alex crept up on the nearest guard, she shifted the hand into a sharp blade. The guard didn’t even have time to react when the ex-agent clapped a hand over his mouth and drove said blade right through his spine. He was dead before he could hit the ground. Alex pulled the body into a nearby alcove and kept moving, the next few guards meeting similar fates. 

“Hey!” someone yelled, just as she was finishing off guard number 5 (or was it 6?). The guard swung blindly, barely missing her helmet, and she tackled him to the floor, driving the blade through his throat before he could make any more noise. Alex moved quickly after that to permanently silence the remaining guards, leaving nothing between herself and her ultimate prey. Nothing but a massive double door. X-ray revealed that the Emperor was now alone with who she assumed to be ‘Kitty,’ but there was no way to open the doors without alerting him and risking the life of Maggie’s ‘friend.’ So Alex took a closer scan of the corridor. The other figures from the room were nowhere to be found, but she eventually located what appeared to be a ventilation duct. Extending her arm, Alex carefully pried off the grate covering the duct, setting it aside as quietly as she could manage before pulling herself up and inside. Thankfully, her relatively thin frame meant she had just enough space to crawl through. She re-covered her metal arm with the armor to dull any sounds it might make against the metal of the duct, then proceeded to make her way to the Emperor’s room. 

_“I grow tired of this intransigence,”_ a male voice growled as Alex reached the other end of the duct. _“Last chance: where is my Captain?”_

Peering through the other grate, Alex spotted a large, gray-skinned alien in shiny gold armor. ‘Kitty’ was bound to a chair as he circled around like a vulture, and when he was facing the grate Alex saw an oddly familiar tuft of blonde hair tucked into his belt. “As I told your goons several times,” the dark-skinned alien shot back, “I. Don’t. Know.” The large alien responded with a sharp backhand that made Alex wince in sympathy. “Hitting me won’t change my answer, _my Lord_ ,” ‘Kitty’ sneered. “Even if I knew where Spartaca was, I wouldn’t tell you. You’re never going to hurt her again.”

“You’re treading on _very_ dangerous ground, Shadowcat,” the large alien warned. “No one presumes to tell me what I can and can’t do, least of all some has-been gladiator.”

“Better a has-been than a never-was.” The large alien smacked her again. “What’s wrong? Worried you won’t have the people’s love without your human pet to parade around?”

“I don’t need their love. But I _will_ have their fear. My men are poised and ready to put those rioters down, and all I need is my Captain to lead the charge…make sure the miscreants know what side their beloved former Champion is on.”

**_< Commander, I have the information. It’s pretty bad. This prick definitely has a lot to answer for. What do you want me to do?>_ **

****

**_< Do you have access to the planetwide broadcast system?>_ **

****

**_< Not yet, but it shouldn’t take long.>_ **

****

**_< Good. Get the data uploaded and wait for my signal.>_ **

****

**_< Will do.>_ **

****

Trusting Vita to take care of things on her end, Alex shut down the link for the moment and tuned back into the scene below, just in time to see the large alien – R’Kard, she presumed, based on what she’d heard so far – shove his captive to the floor, chair and all. “Since you’re obviously learning-impaired, let me make myself abundantly clear. You have NO cards left to play, Shadowcat. None. I know _everything_. Your dalliance with Spartaca was ill-advised, but forgivable. Helping slaves to escape, on the other hand…. I just have to say the word, and you’ll find yourself joining the rebels in their fate.” As he spoke, R’Kard pressed a button on his bracer, activating a series of holographic images – all of them featuring dead, crucified aliens. Shadowcat seemed to go several shades paler as she stared at them. Especially the last one. Alex followed her gaze and felt her heart drop straight into her stomach. The final dead rebel was none other than Kara. Her baby sister. Even from the still image, Alex could tell that Kara had suffered horribly. She was obviously malnourished, her legs had been broken, and there was some blood trickling down her wrists from beneath the cuffs attaching her to the crossbeam. Not to mention the mocking ‘S’ drawn on the front of her shirt and the hack job someone had made of her hair, adding insult to injury. It more than likely explained the lock hanging from R’Kard’s belt. And as Alex stared at the image, she found herself growing angry – and not just at the Emperor. Lena – her supposed friend – had lied to her face for over a week about her plan. When she’d signaled for Alex to begin infiltrating the palace, even that had clearly been based on a lie. Alex couldn’t help but wonder if Lena had deliberately delayed things on her end. They _had_ been in transmat portal range for several hours before she and Alura left for the ‘rescue.’ _‘Once a Luthor…’_ she thought darkly before returning her attention to the Emperor. There’d be time to deal with the traitor later.

“Y-you don’t scare me,” Shadowcat insisted, even as she stared up at R’Kard from the floor.

“Then you’re a fool. Even the Last Daughter of Krypton couldn’t defeat me. What makes you think you have a chance?” He enlarged the image of Kara as he spoke, and Alex literally saw red. Something surged through her and without even really thinking about it, Alex burst from the grate, landing in front of a startled R’Kard. Drawing herself back to full height, she caught her reflection in the Emperor’s armor and found that her own had changed. The Zaroxian nanotech had been replaced with what she assumed to be Breena’s creation. It was black and shiny, almost like scales, and the nigh-imperceptible gaps between the ones on her left arm pulsed with energy. Her hands now ended in claws, and her helmet resembled a dragon’s head, minus the mouth. And the center of her chest bore what she recognized as the Kryptonian symbol for justice. She switched to x-ray vision, finding that the helmet extended the feed from her right eye to the lens on her left, and saw that R’Kard’s heart was going a mile a minute. “Who are you?” he demanded; his tone clearly meant to disguise his fear. Switching back to normal vision (albeit tinted red by the lenses in the helmet), Alex stared R’Kard down. Despite him having a few inches on her in height, she soon found herself literally looking down on him, and after a moment she realized that the armor had given her at least some degree of Kryptonian abilities. Including flight. R’Kard, for his part, looked about ready to wet himself. “Answer me!” he yelled.

“Justice,” she finally snarled, her voice sounding almost demonic. Probably some kind of voice changer built in. Before he could respond, Alex ripped his armor off (confirming that she had super strength as well) and grabbed the front of his tunic, lifting him into the air.

“Y-you can’t do this! Put me down!”

“No.” She slammed him back against the nearest wall, pinning him in place. “I am Nightwing,” Alex growled, remembering some of the stories Kara had told her about her home. “Rao has sent me to avenge His Chosen, Kara Zor-El. You murdered the Last Daughter of Krypton. Rao demands Justice.” As Alex spoke, she moved her left hand to R’Kard’s throat, increasing the energy surge there with little more than a thought. “Any last words?”

“Kara Zor-El was a criminal and a traitor who got exactly what she—” Alex sent the energy surge right through his throat before he could finish the thought, separating his head from his shoulders. It rolled a few feet away on the floor and Alex released her grip on the tunic, letting the rest of his carcass join it. She returned herself to the ground a moment later, retracting the helmet as she approached Shadowcat and ripped away the restraints pinning her to the chair. 

“You,” the taller alien gasped as she pushed back to her feet. “You’re the one who saved Spartaca.”

“Maggie. Her name is Maggie.”

“Right.”

Alex shook her head, switching the mental link back on. **_< The Emperor is dead. Do you have any information on this ‘Shadowcat?’>_**

****

**_< She used to be War World’s Champion before being forced into retirement after a rather controversial match where her opponent tried to poison her. Seems she worked security at a brothel in Mongul City for a while before R’Kard hired her to train his new crop of gladiators. And according to the information R’Kard squirreled away in his system, the number of ‘missing’ slaves has increased quite a bit over the last few years, and he has circumstantial evidence pointing to a sort of underground run by Shadowcat.>_ **

****

**_< So, she’s actually trying to help people?>_ **

****

**_< Seems that way. But if you’re wondering why she didn’t help Kara or Maggie, I’d imagine that anyone in their positions going ‘missing’ would have put her whole operation at risk. It looks like she was mostly helping the slaves forced into menial jobs…ones that wouldn’t attract as much notice if they disappeared.>_ **

****

**_< Right. Are the crowds still gathered outside?>_ **

****

**_< Yes. Right below the balcony of that room, in fact.>_ **

****

**_< Good. As soon as Shadowcat gets their attention, broadcast the evidence of R’Kard’s corruption.>_ **

****

**_< Will do.>_ **

****

Alex cut off the link again and turned to Shadowcat. “I don’t like you. Probably never will. Far as I’m concerned, you took advantage of my fiancé’s memory loss to get yourself a new fuckbuddy.”

“I never—”

She held up a hand. “That being said, I’m not in the habit of leaving messes behind on planets I’ll never visit again. At least, I try not to be. Those people out there need a leader. You used to be their hero, and from what I gather you’ve been working against the system for years.” Alex picked up R’Kard’s severed head and thrust it into Shadowcat’s hands. “Be their hero again. My sister died trying to put an end to this slavery bullshit. Don’t let her sacrifice have been in vain.”

“You’re right,” Shadowcat nodded. “I need to stop working in the shadows and step up. Otherwise, another Master will take over and we’ll be right back where we started.” She sighed. “For what it’s worth, I always knew things with Spartaca – Maggie – wouldn’t last. She felt something was missing, even if she couldn’t articulate what that was. Just…be good to her.”

“Always.”

“And I’m sorry about Kara. I didn’t always agree with her methods, but her heart was in the right place. She didn’t deserve for things to end the way they did. I think Maggie felt guilty over the part R’Kard had forced her to play in that…probably why she tried to end things. He’d never have let her go otherwise.”

Alex nodded, trying not to tear up at the thought of what the two most important people in her life had suffered. “I appreciate that. Just make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”

“You have my word.” Gripping the late Emperor’s head, Shadowcat opened the balcony doors to face the screaming mob below. “The Emperor is dead,” she declared, holding the head up for all to see before tossing it to the mob. “You all know me as Shadowcat, Champion of War World. But that’s not who I am. My name is Kat’rine of Xendar. Like so many here, I was taken from my home and forced into service. I’ve since learned that my people are long gone. _You_ are my people now. It’s time we end the corruption of the past and start anew.” As Kat’rine spoke, Vita cued up the incriminating evidence for the mob. Once they saw that R’Kard had killed Mongul and set Kara up to take the fall, they started chanting for ‘Lady Kat’rine.’ 

**_< I think our work here is done. Let’s get back to the ship. I have a traitor to confront.>_ **

****

**_< Commander?>_ **

****

**_< Lena fucking lied about Kara. I want to know why.>_ **

****

**_< Understood. What about her remains?>_ **

****

**_< I’m hoping Lena at least had the decency to retrieve them. If not, we’ll come back for them once things are settled and there’s a reasonable leader to deal with. Which shouldn’t take long if the crowd response is any indication.>_ **

****

**_< Right. Back to the ship, then.>_ **

****

**_< I’ll see you there.>_** Not waiting for a response, Alex put the helmet back on and activated the portal to the cargo bay. Her feet barely touched the floor before she stormed out, making a beeline for Lena’s quarters. A quick scan with x-ray vision showed Lena inside, asleep. Which pissed Alex off even more. How _dare_ she sleep so peacefully after letting Kara die in agony! It just proved how much of a _Luthor_ the woman really was. Seething, Alex ripped right through the metal door, startling Lena awake.

“Who—”

Alex wrapped a hand around Lena’s throat and lifted her straight off the bed. “Traitor!” she snarled. “No better than the rest of your accursed family. I’ll bet this was your plan all along…land Kara on a planet where she can be easily killed and stall the rescue operation just long enough for the bastards to actually do it. Mommy Dearest must be so fucking proud….” Lena’s only response was to claw ineffectually at Alex’s hand while her face started turning red. Alex retracted the helmet, wanting Lena to know _exactly_ whose wrath she faced. “I never should have trusted a Luthor. It’s too late for my sister, but at least I can make sure you never hurt anyone else.” She squeezed tighter, watching Lena’s face go from red to purple. The sudden blaring of an alarm barely registered. Nothing else did until several strong pairs of arms pried her away from the traitor. Alura, Breena, and Kel-Van – all wearing yellow sun suits. “Let me go!” Alex growled, trying in vain to break free. But they all held fast. “Damn it! She killed my sister! Let me end this!”

“No,” Alura shot back, moving between Alex and Lena while the others maintained their grips. She cupped Alex’s face, forcing the human to meet her eyes. “Listen to me, Alex. Lena did NOT kill Kara. Your sister…my daughter…she lives. She survived, Alex. She’s safe. We have her in the medical bay. Lena kept her word.” Alura kept repeating herself until it finally started to sink in.

“Kara…she’s alive?”

“Yes.”

“Oh God….” Alex breathed, her armor receding as the rage and adrenaline left her body, leaving her in the black ‘yoga’ pants and gray sleeveless shirt she’d been wearing underneath. “What have I done?”

Alura gently squeezed her shoulder. “You were upset, and understandably so. It’s our fault for keeping you in the dark. Lena feared that if you knew, you’d be too distraught to carry out your own mission. The important thing is that we have everyone back on board and safe.” She nodded to the others, who released their hold, letting Alex sink to the floor. “Take the Captain to the medical bay. I’ll follow along shortly with Alex.” Nodding, Breena and Kel-Van carefully helped Lena back to her feet and pulled her arms across their shoulders to aid her in walking out of the room. Once they were gone, she turned back to Alex. “Are you alright?”

Alex shook her head. “I nearly killed Lena over a miscommunication. That armor…it felt like it was fueling my rage.” She couldn’t really explain how or why, but while wearing the ‘Nightwing’ armor, it seemed almost too easy to give into the anger she felt at Kara’s supposed death. Anger that only grew when she thought of Lena’s possible involvement.

“I’m not sure Kryptonian technology works that way, but we can certainly have Breena take a look.”

“Thank you, Alura,” Alex nodded, running her non-metal hand over the little hair she had left. “If Lena wants to lock me up or something over this, so be it. That would be the least I deserve. Just let me see Kara first. And Maggie.”

“Of course.” Alura rose, offering a hand to assist Alex back to her feet, which the human gratefully accepted. The two headed straight for the med bay, where Shy’lo was busy running one of the fancy new instruments Breena had cooked up over Lena’s severely bruised throat. Feeling her stomach twist once more with guilt, Alex scanned the rest of the room. Breena was standing in the far corner, observing, and Kel-Van was nowhere to be found. Presumably, he’d already returned to his post. She soon found Maggie laid out in one of the exam chairs, asleep. “She’s sedated,” Alura quietly explained. “In her current state, your betrothed was quite unnerved to find herself in a strange place. Keeping her unconscious seemed like the best solution to prevent her injuring herself further.”

“Okay.” Alex wasn’t happy – far from it – but until they could undo the damage R’Kard inflicted upon Maggie’s system, there weren’t a lot of other options. “You’re going to be okay, Mags,” she whispered, gently running her real hand through Maggie’s hair (which had grown down past her shoulders in the time since the abduction). “We’ll figure this out, I promise. I won’t lose you again.” Maggie didn’t even stir, though that wasn’t surprising given the drugs running through her system. Alex placed a soft kiss on her lips (only somewhat disappointed when she didn’t wake in response like a fairy tale princess) and turned to find herself facing a large healing pod leaning against the far wall. Suppressing a shudder at the memory of waking up in one (however briefly), Alex made her way over. Kara was suspended inside, with metal covering parts of her arms and legs and a tube protruding from a metal disc on her abdomen. There was a display on the right side of the pod for all of Kara’s vital functions. They were a bit lower than Alex liked, but still within acceptable parameters. Though the EEG was a bit concerning. “Shy’lo, how long has her brain function been this low?”

Muttering apologies to Lena, Shy’lo momentarily abandoned her treatment to join Alex at the pod. “It was actually lower than that when I put her in the pod. This is an improvement. Means the solution is doing its job.”

“I still don’t like it. Could this be from the oxygen deprivation?”

“Possibly,” the medic shrugged. “I’m afraid I don’t know enough about Kryptonian brains to make a more accurate diagnosis. Hopefully, once we can purge the nanites from her system and expose her to yellow solar radiation, everything will return to normal.”

Alex nodded, still not liking it but unable to argue with Shy’lo’s reasoning. She put her flesh-and-blood hand on the glass, wishing she could touch her sister for even a moment. “I’m so sorry, Kar,” she whispered, leaning her forehead against the front of the pod as well. “I should’ve done a better job of protecting you. But I’m here now, and one way or another, I’m going to make this right. I swear it.” Alex touched her fingers to her lips and pressed them to the glass, right about where Kara’s forehead was. Drawing in a deep breath, she then made her way over to Lena, dropping down to one knee before her Captain. “I’m so sorry, Lee. I had no right to accuse you of wanting to hurt Kara…not after everything we’ve been through together. And I definitely shouldn’t have attacked you. Punish me however you see fit. It’s no less than I deserve.” For several long moments, Lena just stared, leaving Alex unsure where she stood. Shy’lo brought the Captain a glass of water and Alex watched her drink it down.

“Your reaction was…extreme,” Lena finally rasped, setting the glass aside. “But not entirely unexpected. It was why I withheld the details of our mission. That being said, I cannot have a potentially loose cannon running around my ship. Surrender your arm to Breena. You can use the basic one the healers on Argo gave you while she runs tests to ensure that her upgrades are safe for you to keep using.”

“That’s it?”

Lena frowned. “For now. I’ll reserve further judgment until we have some answers on that armor.”

“Right.” With a sigh, Alex stood back up and removed the arm. Breena immediately moved out from the corner to take possession. The other arm was back in her quarters, but Alex could survive without it for the moment. “Don’t take too long, okay?” 

“I’ll do my best.”

“Perhaps I can speed things along,” a new voice claimed. Alex turned to find herself staring at a blue man with white hair and three glowing lights in his forehead.

“Who the fuck are you?”

“You may call me Dox. I was your Captain’s contact on the ground, and consider myself an ally of Kara Zor-El.”

Lena’s frown deepened. “I thought I told you to stay in your quarters.”

“You did,” he conceded. “But you did not forbid me from monitoring your ship’s internal communications. When I heard your current dilemma, I felt it prudent to offer my services.” Without giving Lena a chance to respond, he turned to Breena, holding out his hands. “May I?”

Breena looked to the Captain, who nodded. “Do it. But one wrong move, Dox, and you’ll be leaving here through the airlock.”

“Understood.” Alex watched Breena hand over the arm. Dox closed his eyes and stood there, seemingly doing nothing.

“What the fuck? I thought you were offering to help.”

Dox didn’t answer right away. Just continued standing there. When he finally opened his eyes again, he turned his attention to Alex. “It seems your suspicions were correct. Whoever designed the armor integrated into this prosthetic failed to account for the differences between human and Kryptonian brains. Instead of merely responding to certain stimuli, the armor amplified the associated emotions. Your Commander was not entirely responsible for her actions,” he added, looking to Lena.

“Can it be fixed?” As Lena spoke, she looked to the Kryptonian engineer, who dropped her gaze.

“I-I don’t know. My calculations have never been this far off before.”

“ _El Mayarah_ ,” Alura intoned from her position near the door. “Surely, between the four of you, a solution can be found to this dilemma.”

Lena frowned. “I thought you didn’t trust the Coluan.” Dox’s expression soured a bit as she said that, but he quickly recovered.

“I don’t. But perhaps a walking computer is the best person to help fix this.”

“She has a point,” Alex added. “Not really a fan of Coluans either – no offense – but the faster my arm gets fixed, the better. If he can speed things along, I’d like him to try.”

“I shall do my best. If you do not object, perhaps mapping your brain will allow your engineer and myself to better tailor the armor to your unique anatomy…prevent a recurrence of what happened today.”

“Whatever helps,” Alex shrugged, idly tapping her fingers against the metal base at the end of her stump. “But – for the record – I have zero regrets about killing that fucking Emperor. May he rot in Hell.”

“I doubt anyone shall miss him,” Dox assured her. But before anyone could speak further, Kel-Van’s voice interrupted.

**_“Captain, Councilor Jul-Us of Argo is asking to speak with you. He says it’s important.”_ **

“I’ll be right there,” Lena responded, moving off the table. The bruises on her throat had all but disappeared, thanks to Shy’lo’s treatment, but there was still enough evidence of the earlier assault to bring Alex’s guilt back to the fore.

**_“He requested Commander Danvers as well.”_ **

“Fine.” She looked to Alex. “You coming?”

“Let me just swing by my quarters for the other arm.” The idea of appearing before the Head Councilor with just the stump was…less than appealing.

“No need,” Dox interrupted. “I have disabled the advanced functions. Until we can find a way to repair the malfunction, this arm will be limited to the same capabilities as your flesh-and-blood one.”

Lena frowned for a moment, but finally nodded. “I can accept that compromise. Now let’s go. We don’t want to keep the Councilor waiting.”

“Right.” Alex put the arm back in place and followed after Lena, who was already halfway down the corridor. She wanted to apologize again, but now probably wasn’t the time. When she reached the bridge, Lena was already in conversation with the High Councilor.

**_“Commander,”_** he greeted upon noticing her arrival. **_“I trust the technology we provided you is working out?”_**

Alex shrugged. “More or less. No offense, Councilor, but what is this about? And is there a reason you didn’t ask your fellow Councilor to join us?”

**_“Right to the point, I see. Very well. Argo recently received an…unexpected guest. I am not sure how he found us, but he claims to know both you and Captain Luthor. I felt it prudent to contact you as soon as possible.”_** Jul-Us stepped aside and someone else moved into view. One of the last people Alex expected to see this far out.

“J’onn….” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So R'Kard is finally dead, everyone we care about is safely on the ship, and J'onn somehow made his way to Argo. Now to work on getting everyone healthy and whole again (more or less). 
> 
> And I know it might seem a bit odd to take an iconic character like Mongul and basically chuck him into a fridge, but - full disclosure - my first few attempts at this story had him as the chief villain and I just couldn't make things work until I added Lena and turned R'Kard from henchmen to the lead antagonist.
> 
> Anyway...tune in next week for Maggie's next chapter!


	9. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie wakes up. Will she be able to get her memories back?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos and comments so far. We're almost at the end of this part. I apologize in advance for the lengthy author's note at the end. Enjoy the chapter!

“Mags?”

_That voice…._ The last thing the former gladiator remembered was the owner of said voice telling her that she didn’t get to die. Everything after that was lost in a haze – one that was probably drug-induced, based on how groggy she still felt. She opened her eyes to find herself in a way-too-clean white room, with someone standing over whatever she was laying on. It took a few moments for the fog to clear enough for recognition to set in. “You…you’re the sister. Alex.”

The woman nodded, disappointment briefly flitting across her features before she composed herself. “I am.”

“But…the crash…”

“Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated,” she smirked. A moment later, the ex-gladiator felt a hand on her arm. “Just a little something to clear out the cobwebs,” Alex explained, holding up an injection device with a hand that appeared to be made from metal. “With your permission….” Spartaca nodded, and her new companion placed the injection device against the crook of her elbow. It took only seconds for something to rush through her system, waking her up more fully. 

“H-how long have I been out?”

“Almost two weeks. But you’re no longer on War World. We’ve brought you to a…safe haven, of sorts. One with the advanced medical technology to undo what your captor did to you. Your blood has been cleansed of the nanotech, but they also had to go into your brain to remove nanites embedded there…ones that were blocking your memories. Don’t worry…they’ve perfected minimally invasive procedures. You won’t even have a scar. The only nanotech left is the bit in the language center of your brain that’s been acting as a universal translator. They showed me how to remove it and gave me the required tech, so if you want it gone once we’re back on Earth, I can take care of that for you. But for now, it seemed like a good idea to leave it in.”

“Fair enough,” Spartaca nodded, running a hand through her hair. As she did, her fingers brushed across something metal behind her ear, and she looked questioningly at her companion.

“It’s a neural inhibitor. Right now, it’s keeping your memories at bay. We didn’t want you to be overwhelmed. When you’re ready, I have a friend waiting outside who can help you sort through them as they come back.”

“A psychic?”

Alex nodded. “The last of the Green Martians. He managed to track us here and is willing to lend a hand in restoring your memories.”

“No,” Spartaca muttered, shaking her head and moving as far from the taller woman as the bed would allow. “I-I don’t deserve your help. Not after what I’ve done….”

“No one blames you—”

“They should! I killed her…it was me. Kara’s blood is on my hands. I was the one who broke her legs. She made me promise not to let her suffer if help wasn’t coming. We thought you were all dead. So, I broke my old Warhammer out of the Arena and….” She trailed off, choking back tears. “I’m so, so sorry….” At that, the former gladiator broke down sobbing, barely noticing when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her close.

“It’s okay,” Alex soothed. “Kara’s okay. She’s alive. We were able to save her.”

At that, Spartaca drew back and looked at her companion in surprise. “H-how?”

“It seems Lena decided that the best way to ensure we could save both of you was to let R’Kard think he’d won. Then, as soon as the camera drone went elsewhere, she and another crew member got Kara down and brought her back to the ship, where our medic was able to revive her. She’s still unconscious, but the nanites have been removed from her system and it’s just a matter of waiting for the yellow solar radiation emulators to do their job.”

“So, she’ll be fine?”

Alex frowned. “She’s alive, but whether she’ll be completely okay remains to be seen. It’s not your fault, though,” she assured Spartaca, squeezing her shoulders. “The only one to blame is R’Kard. No one is going to fault you for trying to honor Kara’s wishes. Honestly, I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same if the roles were reversed. R’Kard made sure you two had no reason to expect anyone would come to get you out. But you won’t have to worry about him anymore, I promise.”

“How can you promise that?”

Alex smirked once more. “Because I personally removed the fucker’s head. Trust me, he won’t be hurting anyone ever again.”

“Mas…Lord R’Kard is dead?” she asked, wincing a bit at the slip. Even after being ‘freed,’ Spartaca constantly had to fight the instinct to call him Master.

“Irreversibly.”

At that, the former gladiator finally allowed herself to relax. “Thank you.”

“No thanks are necessary. I do whatever it takes to protect those I care about, and that piece of shit deserved everything he got. Hell, if I could bring him back so I could do it all over again – slower and more painfully this time – I would.”

Cringing a bit at the mental imagery, Spartaca nonetheless offered her companion a small smile. “Still, I’d say you’re a hero. You saved me…saved all of War World.” Her expression faltered a bit as a thought occurred to her. “What about Kitty? R’Kard wouldn’t have been happy about me disappearing, and she would’ve been the last to see me.”

“She’s fine,” Alex ground out, oddly tense about the subject. “Better than fine, even.” She pulled out a holo-imager and brought up what looked like a press release about War World’s new leader (translated for her convenience, as the one in her head only seemed to work for the spoken word). And the leader wasn’t R’Kard. 

“Lady Kat’rine. And she’s already shut down the fighting pits, made the Arena entirely voluntary, and is working on abolishing slavery altogether. But how did she convince the High Council to back her?”

“Probably didn’t have much choice. I let your friend take the credit for killing R’Kard and provided the evidence of his corruption. After that, the people were pretty insistent. They were already pissed over Kara’s supposed death and she gave them the perfect alternative.”

“The same mob that was baying for Kara’s blood only a day before?”

Alex shrugged. “What can I say? Mobs are fickle.”

“Right…well, good for her,” Spartaca nodded. Part of her wanted to try and contact Kitty to make absolutely sure she was alright, but that could wait. The memories R’Kard had stolen came first. “I think I’m ready to meet your friend now.”

“Okay. But I must warn you, some of the memories may be rather intense. Before I bring my friend in, I have to know. You’re not still…?”

“Suicidal?” Spartaca shook her head, idly tracing the almost non-existent scar on her left forearm. R’Kard’s mark had been cut in two. Resolving to ask about removing the thing altogether once the mystery psychic did whatever he came to do, she sighed. “That was a moment of desperation. He’d shown Kara – and me, since I was in the room on his orders – footage he’d somehow obtained of your ship crashing. She thought her only hope of rescue was gone, and my hope died with hers. Her apparent demise was the last straw. Especially after he made a point of bragging to me about his victory and how he was going to convince the people that I’d broken Kara’s legs purely to torture her, all at his command. That I was nothing but what _he_ made me. I couldn’t fathom any sort of future where I wasn’t forced to be his lapdog. Ending it seemed like the only way….” She trailed off and broke down again. Alex responded by pulling her even closer, and – strangely – the embrace felt almost like home. For reasons Spartaca couldn’t even begin to explain, being held that way by this person just seemed…right, somehow. Maybe _she_ was the one Kitty had speculated about…the reason things never fully clicked between the two of them. Only her missing memories could tell her for certain. She let herself cry on Alex’s shoulder for a few more moments before pulling herself back together and easing out of the embrace. “Can we please bring your friend in now? I’d really like to get those memories back.”

“Of course,” her companion nodded, sliding off the bed and moving to the door. She opened it and spoke to someone briefly before stepping aside to let said person enter. “This is J’onn J’onzz. The Last Son of Mars.”

Spartaca wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting, but an African American man certainly wasn’t it. “You’re a Martian?”

“I am,” J’onn nodded. “When not on our own world, we generally take the form of our hosts as a sign of respect. This also happens to be the form most familiar to Alex and Kara.”

“Can you really help get my memories back?”

He smiled. “They should come back on their own once the inhibitor is removed. But yes, I can definitely help you sort through them so you’re not overwhelmed.”

“What do I have to do?”

“After Alex removes the inhibitor, I’ll link our minds and we’ll work through the returning memories together.”

Spartaca nodded, then frowned. “So, you’ll see everything? No offense, but I’m not sure I’m comfortable with a virtual stranger poking around in my head, even for a good cause.”

“None taken,” J’onn assured her, despite the hurt look that flashed across his face when she called him a stranger. “If there’s someone you’d be more comfortable with, I can act as a conduit to bring them into your mind instead. It’s riskier, but if that’s what you’d prefer I’d be happy to do it. The important thing is making sure you’re not alone when the memories hit.”

“Will it still work?”

“I can slow down the flow of incoming memories without having to see them myself, but – like I said – there are risks. Memories from the other person could slip through, or even some of my own. It’s your call, though.”

She thought it over for a few moments. The idea of having anyone else in her head was strange, though she could understand the necessity. Facing a deluge of memories solo didn’t exactly sound like fun. She glanced over at Alex before turning back to J’onn and nodding. “Can Alex do it? Even without my memories, there’s some…instinct…telling me to trust her.”

“Alex?” J’onn ventured, turning towards the other woman.

“I’ll do it.”

“Are you sure?”

Alex nodded. “Whatever it takes.”

“Alright then,” he agreed, returning his attention to Spartaca. “Say the word, and we’ll begin.”

“What do I have to do?”

“When I link you and Alex, you should start off in what your friend Dox calls a ‘mind palace.’ Someplace where you feel safe. There will likely be something there to represent the block on your memories, which will really be me holding them back, and you can remove the blockage at whatever pace you feel comfortable. Alex will be there to help you work through everything. I’ll do my best to keep the flow of memories limited to yours but – as I said – there is a risk that some of what comes through may belong to Alex or myself. You just need to be careful not to lose yourself in any that aren’t yours.”

She frowned. “What happens if I can’t separate myself from those foreign memories? Worst case.”

“You could go insane. But let’s not worry about that until we have to. Keeping your focus on your own memories is the best way to prevent that worst-case scenario from playing out.”

“Right,” the former gladiator nodded. She had some reservations about this plan, but it was still better than wandering around with only the memories of her time on War World. “Let’s do this.” Moving forward and letting her feet dangle off the edge of the bed, she allowed J’onn to place a hand on the side of her head. He nodded to Alex, who removed the inhibitor before joining her on the bed and also letting the Martian make contact. Next thing she knew, the room around them fell away….

_Spartaca opened her eyes to find herself back in a familiar space. But she wasn’t alone. Alex was there as well, and whole, her metal arm flesh and blood once more. “Where are we?” the taller woman asked._

_“The preparation room beneath the Arena. Though it didn’t look quite like this,” she added, gesturing towards the crude boards blocking off the spots where she and her fellow gladiators stored their armor and weapons._

_Alex frowned. “I thought we were supposed to start off in your safe space.”_

_“We are. I know it must seem odd to you, but the Arena was the closest I had to freedom on War World.”_

_“Seriously? That motherfucker forced you to fight other poor saps who also weren’t given a choice, and you found it_ freeing _?”_

_“I don’t expect you to understand….”_

_“Good,” Alex snapped. “Because I don’t.”_

_Spartaca sighed, reaching out to her companion. And when her hand made contact with Alex’s shoulder, she got a brief flash of…something. A terrifying pit. Some kind of reptilian. The momentary sensation of blinding pain in one eye. She jumped back as if burned. “God…I’m so sorry….”_

_“Forget it.”_

_She shook her head. “No. Look…I didn’t mean to imply that the Arena was a good place. It wasn’t. And I wasn’t trying to belittle your experience, or Kara’s. Believe me, I get how wrong the whole idea of being forced to fight for other people’s entertainment is. There were times when I hated myself. But at the same time, I can’t help the way I feel. Wrong as it might have been, it was also one of the only places where I actually got to make some decisions for myself. No one was in my ear telling me how to fight, or hovering to make sure I didn’t step out of line. And I’d be lying if I said the cheers I got didn’t feel good. I may have been fighting for R’Kard, but he rarely showed up at the Arena himself, and when he did, he had a private box far away from his fighters. It was one of the few places where I could get out from under his constant monitoring, even momentarily. That, and Kitty’s place, but you’d probably be even more uncomfortable there.” Alex still looked at her skeptically (if a bit disgusted) and she sighed. “I’m sorry if this isn’t the reunion you were expecting, and if you want out of whatever it is we had, I understand. Let’s just get this over with and then you’ll never have to see me again if that’s what you want.”_

_“Oh no…you don’t get to give up that easy.”_

_Spartaca stared for a moment, not sure she heard right. “Sorry?”_

_“Do I understand why_ this _is your safe place? No. And I probably never will, given what I’ve been through. But the fact that I don’t get it doesn’t make your feelings any less valid.” She moved in closer, stopping just short of actually making contact. “We’ll have plenty of time to talk through all of it once we’re done here. I’m not walking away from this without a fight.”_

_The former gladiator nodded, not really sure how else to respond. Instead, she made her way over to the oldest-looking set of boards, figuring they were probably blocking her earliest memories. Deciding it was the best place to begin, she started yanking them away, revealing some old photographs and mementos. She reached out to pick up one depicting a tall, dark-haired man in a sheriff’s uniform, holding a young girl in his arms who was wearing a crude, homemade copy of his clothes, complete with a plastic badge pinned to the front. That’s when the memories started coming through. “Papi…” she breathed. She could sense Alex hovering nearby but stayed focused on the image. “I don’t know if you’re seeing what I’m seeing, but it’s starting to come back to me. I grew up on a small farm in Blue Springs, Nebraska. Papi was also the town sheriff, and I remember getting up early with him every morning to help feed the chickens and milk our one cow before he dropped me off at school on his way to work. I thought he could do no wrong. He was my hero.” Tears she couldn’t quite explain pricked the corners of her eyes as she returned the photo to its spot and started looking over the other items. Memories of a seemingly idyllic childhood flowed through her mind, mostly of time she’d spent with her Papi. Her Mami was there, too, but wasn’t nearly as much of a presence. She was definitely what one might call a ‘Daddy’s girl.’ Closing her eyes for a moment, she could almost feel his arms wrapped around her as he called her ‘Mija’…promised he’d always be there no matter what._

_“You okay?”_

_She shook her head, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “How much of that did you see?”_

_“Nothing. Think the sharing only happens when we make physical contact. But talking through it helps, right?”_

_“Sort of,” she shrugged, looking at the taller woman. “I know my real name now. Margarita Elena Rodas.”_

_“Rodas?”_

_The former gladiator frowned. “Is that not right?”_

_“It’s just…new. You never really talked much about your past. And I never pushed because it seemed like thinking about it caused you pain.”_

_“Maybe I should just stop, then.”_

_Alex shook her head. “I can’t promise it’s not going to suck, but you need to know everything, good and bad. Overcoming the pain of your past is what made you who you are. Believe me, there are things about my own past I’d love to forget. But if I did….”_

_“You wouldn’t be you,” she finished. “Okay.” Moving to the next set of boards, she ripped them away to find more photos and mementos. A crude card immediately drew her eye, and she could remember spending an entire night trying to make sure it was perfect. Purple construction paper cut into the shape of a heart, with M+E written on the front and an invite to the upcoming spring formal on the back. She vividly recalled Eliza’s horrified look upon reading it and the girl she thought she loved calling her a sick freak in front of the entire school. Then, to make matters worse, Eliza told her parents, and that’s how her own family learned the truth. Tears flowed freely as she remembered Papi waiting for her in front of their farmhouse, suitcase in hand. Being forced into his car and driven several towns over to Lincoln. Sitting in front of Tia Tessa’s house as Papi said she’d shamed him, then forced her back out of the car before tossing her suitcase next to her and driving away, never once looking back._

_“Mags?”_

_Valentine still in hand, she dropped onto the bench in front of the storage spaces. “I really thought it would be okay,” she muttered. “Mami and Papi were never exactly crazy about gay people – why I snuck off to the public library in the next town when I started having those feelings, so I could research it without them finding out before I was ready to come out – but even so, I never imagined my being gay would make Papi turn on me like that. I was his only child, after all. The day he dropped me off in front of Tia Tessa’s, I could literally feel my heart break. If it weren’t for Tia, I don’t know where I would’ve ended up. She’d also become a pariah in the family because she dared to get a divorce. Her first husband had abused her terribly, but no one believed her and the family was more concerned with the fact that she’d violated Catholic doctrine by leaving her husband and filing for divorce than the fact that she’d done so because she felt unsafe in that home. Majorly fucked up…which is what I told her when she finally sat me down and told me the truth that Papi had never bothered to even try to explain. While I was living with Tia Tessa, she met a wonderful man named James Sawyer. A police officer, like Papi, but much more open-minded. They married, and though I was too old for him to officially adopt me at that point, he went with me to the courthouse to legally change my name to Margaret Ellen Sawyer.” Technically, she didn’t have to change her whole name, but it hurt too much to hear anyone call her ‘Margarita’ after being disowned by the parents who’d given her that name._

_“They sound amazing,” Alex mused, and Maggie nodded._

_“In some ways, Tia Tessa and Uncle James were more my parents than Mami and Papi. They even flew all the way to Gotham when I graduated the police academy, just to support me as I took my oath.”_

_“Were?”_

_Shaking her head, Maggie set the valentine aside and moved to the next set of boards, ripping them away to reveal photos and mementos from her time in Gotham. Her ill-fated relationship with Emily, which – in a moment of weakness and self-loathing brought on by her failure to save some kids that got caught in the middle of one of Gotham’s gang wars – she’d thrown away for a one-night stand with some girl whose name she forgot pretty much as soon as she left their hotel room. When Emily told her she didn’t deserve to be happy, Maggie had been hard-pressed to argue the point. Pushing thoughts of that particular ex aside, she continued sorting through the various memories of cases she’d worked, women she’d dated, her promotion to detective, and getting tangled up with Gotham’s infamous vigilantes, soon coming across a bloodied butterfly knife. Her hand hovered over it briefly, but she slammed her palm against the wall in frustration rather than pick up the accursed object._

_“What’s wrong?” Alex gently prompted._

_Maggie sighed. “Did I ever tell you that I used to be involved with Batwoman?”_

_“I think I’d remember something like that.” Alex frowned. “So that means you know who’s behind the mask?”_

_“I do.”_

_“And…?”_

_“Not my secret to tell.” She sighed again. “The reason I bring it up is because of that.” As she spoke, Maggie gestured to the butterfly knife. “Our relationship wasn’t a long one…not compared to what I had with Emily…but the whole time she was obsessed with a supervillain calling herself Alice. Like the one from the Lewis Carroll book. Turned out this villain was actually her long-lost twin. She was so sure that Alice could be redeemed…that her sister was still in there somewhere. But then one day Tia Tessa and Uncle James came to Gotham for a visit, wanting to meet the woman who’d finally pulled me out of the funk I’d been in since things with Emily ended and of course we put them up at our place. They were family, after all. Then while I was at work and she was doing her thing, Alice broke in. We came home to find them both dead…their throats slit open and their bodies posed at the kitchen table like they were at a fucking tea party. And to top it all off, that lunatic couldn’t resist leaving behind a selfie of her with my terrified aunt, just to make sure Batwoman knew she could fuck with her any time she wanted. Batwoman finally realized her sister was too far gone to save, but it was too little too late. I noped the fuck out of Gotham the first chance I got. Thankfully, a position with the NCPD’s new science division had just opened up and my Captain was all too happy to recommend me for it.”_

_“I’m so sorry,” Alex whispered. “God…I can’t even imagine….” She shook her head. “I guess that’s why you rarely talk about them.”_

_“Probably. The worst part was that none of the Rodas family even bothered to come to the funerals. I mean, there were plenty of people there. Friends, work colleagues, his relatives…even the Bat family showed up to pay their respects. Minus my ex, of course. She didn’t even try to argue when I told her it was over. At any rate, none of our blood relatives even sent so much as a condolence card. That’s when decided I was just fucking done with the lot of them.”_

_“Those idiots don’t deserve you.”_

_Maggie flashed her a sad smile. “That’s kind of you to say.”_

_“It’s the truth.”_

_“Perhaps,” she shrugged, tearing her eyes away from the butterfly knife and moving on to the last set of boards. Pulling them free revealed photos and mementos from National City. New cases. New women (human and alien). Finding the dive bar. Actually being able to help people in a way Gotham’s never-ending darkness wouldn’t allow. She soon came across a charred piece of carpet, and when she picked it up, Maggie remembered being on a crime scene – an attack on the President – and finding herself thrown by a pair of hazel eyes. Not that she admitted as much at the time. Especially when it turned out that those striking eyes belonged to an arrogant Fed who was trying to steal jurisdiction. And – like with every other arrogant Fed she’d encountered over the years – Maggie wasn’t just going to let that happen without a fight. The Fed won, as they always did, but Maggie didn’t stop her investigation. She tracked the supposed assassin to a warehouse, only to run into that same Fed. This time she walked away with a phone number and talked the Fed – Alex – into checking out the dive bar. And that was only the beginning. Maggie set the piece of carpet down and started looking over the rest of the pieces. Alex’s favorite pool cue. The masks they’d worn to Roulette’s fight club during the first case they’d officially worked together. Shot glasses from the night Alex stuttered her way out of the closet (sort of). The jukebox label from the song that was playing when Alex kissed her at the bar and she’d subsequently rejected her. And at that point the memories started coming even faster. Alex reaming her out during the whole Guardian issue. Nearly getting killed by Cyborg Superman and realizing what was important. Alex freaking out when Supergirl went missing and trying to break it off, only to come to her senses once her sister (which Maggie had figured out on closer observation after some initial jealousy at their closeness) was safely back home. Dates. Game nights. Being intimate for the first time. Almost losing Alex to Lillian’s deportation plot, and then again to some psycho from Midvale. The invasion. Alex proposing (twice!). Getting knocked out in the supposed wedding planner’s office and waking up in a strange place, far from her fiancé…._

_“Mags?” Alex ventured._

_Smiling, she turned around, finally certain of who she was. “Life’s too short. We should be who we are, and we should kiss the girls we want to kiss.” Not giving Alex a chance to respond, Maggie closed the distance between them and kissed her fiancé like her life depended on it. The physical contact brought a flow of memories that weren’t her own…mostly ones of their relationship, but from Alex’s perspective. However, there were some she definitely didn’t recognize at all. Swastikas hanging from city hall. Black-clad stormtroopers in the streets. An evil Supergirl with even more power than the original. Lillian Luthor actually begging for help…._

When Maggie next opened her eyes, she was back in the hospital room, with Alex still sitting next to her. “So, you remember me,” her fiancé smirked. “Cause that’s what I’m getting.”

“I remember everything.” Maggie drew Alex into another kiss…a real one. It felt like coming home…at least until the sensation of cold metal against her cheek jolted her out of it. “Your arm…”

“A rather sizable chunk of the engine fell on me when the ship crashed. Fucked up my spine, too. Nanotech is the only reason I’m still able to walk. The arm is made from nanotech-infused Nth metal, which gives it some rather interesting abilities that I’ll explain later. I’ve also got a robotic upgrade for my eye,” Alex added, gesturing to the one Maggie thought she remembered seeing a patch over in the images the Resistance had shown her. “So, I’m basically a cyborg at this point.”

“Well, Seven of Nine’s got nothing on you.”

Alex chuckled. “Nerd.”

“That’s _my_ line, Danvers.”

“I stand by it.”

Grinning, Maggie pulled her into another kiss. “I love you,” she breathed, once they parted.

“I love you, too.”

“Even after everything that happened on War World?”

Alex nodded. “I told you, I don’t blame you for any of it. You were dropped into a shitty situation and did what was needed to get yourself through in one piece, physically _and_ mentally. All that matters now is that we’re together again, and your memories are back.” This time Alex initiated the kiss, only pulling away when someone cleared their throat. Maggie turned to see J’onn standing in the corner.

“Papa Bear!” she grinned, moving in for a hug.

He groaned a bit. “Not you, too.” The Martian returned the embrace, though. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Don’t know if I’d classify it as ‘okay,’ but I’ll live.” She pulled away, returning to Alex’s side. “I think we need to talk, though. Before you pulled us out of my mind palace or whatever, I saw some memories that definitely didn’t belong to either of us.”

“I did, too. What the fuck is going on, J’onn?”

He sighed, leaning back against the wall and crossing his arms. “We thought you two and Lena died in a fire, and afterwards someone we believed to be Kara went on a rampage through National City and had to be put down by the military. General Lane took over the DEO in the wake of Supergirl allegedly going rogue. Congress repealed Alien Amnesty shortly thereafter, and the General instituted martial law in the city, rounding up any aliens he could find. I took the people loyal to me underground to set up a resistance.”

“Wow,” Alex frowned. “So that dick finally got what he wanted. Doesn’t explain the Nazi imagery, though, unless he went full-on fascist.”

“I’m afraid it’s much worse.”

Maggie’s eyebrow shot up. “What could be worse than a xenophobic general turning our city into his own little dictatorship?”

“For starters, it was more of a partnership. With Cadmus. General Lane didn’t even try to hide it. Most of the aliens his people brought in were either sent to one of Lillian’s labs, or to the no-longer-illegal fight clubs run by Roulette.”

“Just like that psycho bitch predicted,” Alex muttered under her breath. “I’m betting the three of them set this whole thing up.”

J’onn nodded. “Quite possibly, though it would be hard to prove. I escaped thanks in large part to Eliza. With her assistance, and some Kryptonian technology borrowed from Clark, we were able to turn Midvale into a sanctuary from the rising anti-alien movement. I’ve been running the resistance from there. But Lane and Cadmus were only the beginning. I only learned this part well after the fact, but it seems Kara and Clark weren’t the only Kryptonian children saved when the planet died. Three genetically engineered infants were sent off by a cult worshipping a dark god, with powers greater than those of normal Kryptonians under a yellow sun. They were designed to be split personalities, sharing a body with a human host, and the active personality at any given time determined said body’s genetic makeup, with the Kryptonian genes receding whenever the human personality was conscious. These beings were known as Worldkillers. Cadmus learned of them when one of the human hosts – L-Corp’s CFO, in fact – began losing time and sought Lillian’s help out of desperation. It didn’t take long for Lillian’s people to locate the others and begin experimenting on them.”

“So, Cadmus got its hands on some super-Kryptonians and turned them into lab rats.” As she spoke, Alex’s frown deepened. “I’m guessing it didn’t end well for our so-called Worldkillers. But I’m still not seeing the Nazi angle.”

“Shortly after I brought the DEO agents still loyal to me to Midvale, Winn picked up the signature of an interdimensional breech. No one was at the site of the breech by the time we arrived to investigate. But after that we started to notice an uptick in a certain type of extreme politics. Small at first, tapping into the anti-alien sentiment and tying it into other types of bigotry. Then a man calling himself Oliver Merlyn – who seemed to come from nowhere and, according to Winn, bore more than a passing resemblance to Earth 1’s Green Arrow – began rising to prominence as a public speaker, using whatever platforms he was given to further fan those flames. He became popular enough that after President Marsdin was outed as an alien and forced to resign, her replacement – who turned out to be at least as xenophobic as General Lane – was able to bring Merlyn in as his new VP with little opposition in Congress. Which is when things started to get even worse for the alien population. We were able to get the former President to safety in Midvale and save some others, but so many still suffered. The beginning of the end came when the new President was suddenly killed, supposedly by an alien rights group in collusion with some other minority organizations. Merlyn became President and revealed his wife. It was another Kara – one with greater power than our own. He used her to impose his will on the country and turn it into an outpost of his homeworld. It seems he’s from an Earth where the Nazis won WWII, and is, in fact, their Fuhrer.”

A loud bang filled the room, and Maggie and J’onn both turned to find that Alex had put a sizable hole in one of the walls with her metal arm. “My great-grandparents died at Bergen-Belsen,” she growled. “The only reason Grandma Goldstein didn’t join them is because a family friend smuggled her and her siblings out of Poland just before the Nazis came through. And now you’re telling me those fuckers are in charge of our country?”

“I’m afraid so. The tech we borrowed from Clark is keeping Midvale cloaked, but we’re not sure how long it will hold out. When I left, patrols had reached the outskirts of the town. They hadn’t seemed to notice anything, but I have a feeling it’s only a matter of time. The first hope I had that anything could get better was when Lillian Luthor, of all people, found a way to reach out to me. I didn’t trust it at first, but after Winn confirmed that there were no trackers or anything embedded in the message, I gave it a listen. Lillian confessed to what she did to the four of you, and that the Nazis who’d arrived with Merlyn had infiltrated Cadmus and used their Worldkiller experiments to save their General – the evil Kara – effectively transforming her into a Worldkiller herself. She grew disturbed when it turned out that Merlyn’s ambitions went far beyond getting rid of aliens – not to mention the fact that he allied with at least one – and realized that she was responsible for sending our world’s best hope to the other side of the galaxy. I have no idea if she’s even still alive, but Winn used the data she sent to track the Maaldorians’ movements that day and I picked up the trail at Takron-Galtos, following it all the way here. You have no idea how relieved I was to confirm that you were indeed still alive, and that Lillian was actually telling the truth.”

“I guess there’s lines even that cold-hearted bitch won’t cross,” Maggie mused. She looked to Alex, who’d been silent since her outburst. “You okay?”

Alex shook her head, looking to J’onn. “How the fuck long have we been gone? There’s no way this all happened in about a year. And why didn’t you tell me when you first made contact?”

“There’s no easy way to say this, Alex. When I left, it had been nearly three years since your supposed deaths. Time works differently outside our solar system. Merlyn has only been in charge for about a year, but it’s been more than enough time for him to do damage. And I didn’t say anything because I was hoping to wait until you were all awake and able to listen, so I wouldn’t have to repeat myself. Though perhaps it’s better this way. Kara may take the news better coming from you, Alex.”

“Nothing can make this better, J’onn,” Alex shot back. “As soon as my sister is well enough, we’re going home to kick those fuckers back to their own world. Have you tried reaching out to Earth 1?”

“We can’t risk it. Opening a breech would compromise the cloak around Midvale. And leaving to try and make contact could alert them to where we are, since they are no doubt monitoring for anyone trying to breech to and from another world like they did.”

“What about Clark?” Maggie ventured. “Surely the Man of Steel isn’t just sitting back and letting those Nazi fucks run wild.”

J’onn sighed. “Shortly after Lane took over the DEO, Clark went to talk to President Marsdin. It was then that we learned she was no longer in charge. And no one has seen or heard from him since. Not even Lois. We fear Cadmus got to him, but no one has been able to confirm it one way or the other.”

“Fuck,” Alex breathed, and Maggie instantly moved to wrap an arm around her fiancé’s shoulders. “What about the others? Mom? James? Winn? Lucy? Vas?”

J’onn dropped his gaze. “James is gone, I’m afraid. He paid the price for standing up to Merlyn and refusing to let the new regime turn CatCo into their propaganda arm. We were able to get his mother and sister to safety in Midvale, though. Your mother is doing as well as she can be, under the circumstances. Winn has really stepped up as one of the leaders of our resistance, along with Lucy, Lois, and Vasquez. But in Winn’s case, I fear that the cost has been his innocence and optimism.”

“God,” Alex muttered. “Kara is going to be devastated when she finds out.”

Maggie squeezed her hand. “We’ll get her through this, Allie. _El Mayarah_ , remember?”

Alex repeated the phrase, but before any of them could say anything further, a redhaired woman walked in. “We’re a little busy here, Shy’lo,” Alex snapped.

“Sorry, but I thought you’d want to know.”

“Know what?”

“Your sister’s awake.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that was a pretty big twist, huh? A Nazi invasion wasn't the original plan (that would've been some sort of war between Reign and Cadmus), but I kept coming back to the question of what the Earth X guys would've done if Kara hadn't been at the wedding like she was in the actual version. The most logical answer was that they'd have gone looking to her Earth for alternatives. And, since they had no specific target in mind, Fuhrer Oliver decided to play the long game. As for the last name, my personal headcanon for Earth X is that Malcolm Merlyn was Hitler's handpicked successor, and he took Oliver and Kara as his proteges (at least until Oliver got tired of waiting for his turn and took matters into his own hands). And I'm sorry about James, but I felt like someone had to die to show what kind of threat these people posed, and this also calls back to the opening minutes of the Earth X crossover. As for Sam, I felt that Cadmus finding the Worldkillers and experimenting on them before they could become real threats was a logical consequence of what happened after Cadmus seized control alongside Lane's military. But, since we're in comic book land, death isn't necessarily permanent. And that's all I can say on the matter without spoiling my plans for part 3 (which I'm just starting on, but hope to have finished at least a little quicker than part 2 despite it more than likely being about the length of the first two parts put together).
> 
> As for the Batwoman reference, I decided to base Earth 38's Kate Kane more or less on the one we know, but with the changes to the story that would've come had she been involved with Maggie instead of staying single.
> 
> Anyway...tune in next week for the Epilogue, where we get the moment(s) we've all been waiting for!


	10. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara finally wakes up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we are at the end of Part 2. To be clear, the first bit of this takes place simultaneously with the events of the previous chapter. Anyway...enjoy! See you on the other side!

_The first time Kara opened her eyes after seeing her mother and Lena step out from that pool of light, neither of them were anywhere to be found. But she definitely wasn’t on War World any longer. The barren landscape had been replaced with a beautiful green valley, illuminated by the familiar glow of Rao. She dared a glance down to find that the rough prison garb had been replaced with something resembling her mother’s formal robes, only these were all white. And the pain was gone. Almost as if the previous day’s events were nothing more than a dream._

_Sensing she wasn’t alone, Kara turned to see a new figure approach, also dressed in white robes. When the figure drew closer, her first instinct was to call out for her mother. But then she noticed the white streak in the woman’s hair. “Aunt Astra!” She ran forward, throwing her arms around her mother’s once-beloved twin, who eagerly returned the embrace._

_“I’ve missed you so much, Little One.”_

_“Me too,” Kara smiled, pulling back to look at her aunt properly. “You look amazing. I guess this means the stories are all true…Rao rewards his faithful with a paradise of His making, where they can spend eternity besides their loved ones, restored to the health and vigor of their prime.”_

_Astra nodded, moving her hands to Kara’s shoulders. “It is, and you have been faithful. No one can deny that.”_

_“So where is everyone else? Ieiu? Lena? Alex?”_

_“They don’t belong here, Little One. And neither do you.” Before Kara could protest, her aunt shoved her backwards and she suddenly found herself falling into a chasm that appeared out of nowhere. The darkness quickly swallowed her up. When her descent finally stopped, she reached out to discover something surrounding her body…almost like a coffin. She pounded the sides, trying to free herself, but to no avail. And then the dark swept away her very consciousness. Occasionally, she’d hear voices – some strange, others achingly familiar – and try once again to push through the barrier keeping her imprisoned. But something would quickly drag her back down into the nothingness every time. No matter how hard she fought, it was never enough. All she could think was that Rao was punishing her for her actions on War World…._

_Kara had no idea how long she was trapped in that darkness. Minutes? Hours? Days? Weeks? Longer still? All she knew was that it was more than enough time for her claustrophobia to set in. Any time she even approached consciousness, it was as though she could barely breathe. Eventually, she just stopped fighting altogether, finding it easier to just let the void take her._

_Then things started to change. The darkness became less all-consuming, the barriers faded, and she could actually breathe again. But she was still stuck. So close to…something…and yet unable to break through and see what it was._

_Someone was singing, and Kara soon recognized an old Kryptonian lullaby. She could practically hear her mother’s voice, in fact. Latching onto the familiarity – impossible as it should have been – Kara pushed herself towards the voice, scratching and clawing her way through the void until she finally breached the surface…._

Pain. That was the first sensation to pierce the nothingness Kara had been trapped in for so long. Her legs felt as though someone had set them on fire. A scream ripped from her throat and, moments later, something flooded her veins, cooling the blaze to a mild heat. But this time, Kara didn’t tumble back into the dark. With a bit of effort, she managed to finally open her eyes, only to be greeted with a sight that simply should not have been – not in this life.

“ _I-ieiu_?” Kara rasped, voice practically non-existent between the screaming and the time spent in the void. “ _A-am I dead? Are we in Rao’s Light?_ ”

The woman shook her head. “ _Karanizu, my brave, sweet child._ ” As she spoke, the image of her mother reached out and touched Kara’s cheek, proving herself quite solid. “You’re not dead, _inah_ ,” she continued, switching to English. “We were able to bring you back.”

“I-I don’t understand,” Kara breathed, still unable to wrap her head around what she was seeing. “You died. Everyone did. I saw it happen…relive it in my every nightmare. This…isn’t possible.”

“And words can’t even begin to describe how sorry I am for putting you through that, _Karanizu_. Your father had a plan for saving Argo, but neither he nor your uncle could guarantee that it would actually work. The odds of success were extremely low. That’s why we still sent you and Kal away. None of us wanted to risk your lives on such a gamble. Earth was also a risk, but your chances of survival were much higher away from Krypton.”

“But Father’s plan worked?”

“It did.”

“Why didn’t you come back for me, then?”

With a sad smile, Alura reached out to stroke what remained of Kara’s hair. “We saw your pod get knocked off course just after it launched. I didn’t think you’d survived. And then after losing your father, and your aunt and uncle…some days it was all I could do just to keep going. If I’d had any idea you were still alive, nothing could have kept me away. And I have no intention of ever leaving you again.” Alura continued stroking Kara’s hair as she spoke, exactly the way she used to when Kara was still a child.

“ _Ieiu_ ,” Kara gasped. She threw her arms around her mother’s neck and pulled her close, finally convinced that it was real…that perhaps Rao hadn’t been punishing her after all. Tears flowed freely as Alura returned the embrace, and Kara could tell that she was crying as well. After several long moments, Kara pulled back and cupped her mother’s cheeks while meeting her eyes. Her hands were numb, but she could still tell that the other woman was warm and solid, which was good enough for the moment. The rest could wait. “I’ve missed you so much. I had the AI you sent with me, but it never had any of your warmth and kindness, and that just made me miss you even more.” She drew in a deep breath and let go of her mother’s face. “What happened to Father? And Kal’s parents?”

“We were in stasis for a while after Argo broke away from the rest of Krypton. And when we woke up, we discovered that the atmosphere where Argo came to rest was somehow toxic. People were growing sick…dying. Zor-El and Jor-El worked tirelessly to find a cure, eventually determining that it wasn’t the atmosphere itself. Somehow, the very ground we stood on had become irradiated and the radiation was leaking into the atmosphere, slowly killing us. They found a way to reverse the effects, but your Aunt Lara had already died by then, and they were too late to save themselves.”

“Kryptonite,” Kara nodded, and Alura looked a bit confused. “On Earth, some pieces of Krypton landed alongside Kal’s pod. The pieces had been irradiated and proved poisonous to the two of us. And, unfortunately, some of our enemies have figured out how to weaponize it. We call it Kryptonite. What you described sounds a lot like that. Though perhaps what happened to Argo didn’t kill as quickly because it hadn’t been exposed to a yellow sun.” She shook her head. “It seems you, me, and Kal really are the last of the House of El.” A few tears escaped as she thought of her father, but she’d mourned his loss long ago and learning that he’d survived a little bit longer than she’d believed didn’t really change that.

“We’re here, _Karanizu_. That’s what matters.” She took Kara’s hand and squeezed it. “You’ve grown so much, _inah_ , though I admit I expected you to be older.”

“24 years in the Phantom Zone,” Kara explained. “By the time I reached Earth, Kal was already fully grown and acting as a hero. He took me to a family he knew and they raised me alongside their own child. I’ve had a great life, _Ieiu_. If things had gone to your and Father’s plan, I wouldn’t have my sister.”

“Alex.”

Now it was Kara’s turn to be confused. “How do you know that name?”

“Rao works in mysterious ways. Her ship crash-landed here a few weeks ago. That’s how I found out you’d survived. And, of course, I insisted on joining the rescue party once the ship had been repaired enough to finish the journey to War World.”

“She’s alive?” Kara gasped. “And Lena?”

“We survived.” At the new voice, Kara glanced past Alura to find a familiar pair of green eyes looking back. Lena’s hair was shorter and she’d put on a bit of muscle, but otherwise she was just the same as Kara remembered.

“I’ll leave you two alone, _Karanizu_ ,” Alura whispered, dropping a soft kiss on Kara’s forehead. “We’ll have plenty of time to talk later. Like I said, I’m not going anywhere.” She smoothed a few wisps of blonde hair from Kara’s face before exiting the room. Once she’d gone, Lena claimed the seat next to the bed, taking Kara’s hand and placing a soft kiss on the knuckles that the blonde barely felt. Not that she was about to let on as much.

“Lee….”

“I’m here, Kara. And I’m so, so sorry for what you went through on that hellhole.”

“It’s not your fault. I really thought I could change the world. Turns out it’s not quite that simple. I overreached and cost a lot of good people their lives, and for what? Nothing is ever going to change there.” It was all Kara could do not to cry again. Rao may have forgiven her failure, but it would be a long time before she forgave herself.

“But it has,” Lena smiled, gently tilting Kara’s head up to meet her eyes. “R’Kard has been dealt with, and there’s a new Empress who’s actually starting to dismantle the system you were standing up against. It wasn’t for nothing.”

“I-it wasn’t?”

Nodding, Lena pulled out a holo-imager and showed her what she recognized as a War World newsfeed, albeit translated into English. Shadowcat – the former gladiator trainer – had stepped into R’Kard’s place and was making strides in ridding the planet of slavery altogether, starting with abolishing forced participation in the Arena fights and making them entirely voluntary. 

“Rao above…our sacrifices really _weren’t_ in vain.” Kara read over the feed again, just to reassure herself that it was true. Those deaths would still haunt her for as long as she lived – there was no getting around that part – but knowing that something good came out of that mess eased the sting just a little.

“I-I just wish you didn’t have to suffer so much at the end,” Lena sighed, putting the imager away again. “Truth is, I could’ve stepped in sooner. But I let some Coluan convince me to wait…let R’Kard think he’d won so he’d let his guard down and give us an opportunity to get Maggie out as well.”

“And did you?”

Another nod. “Maggie is safe and, with any luck, well on her way to recovering the memories R’Kard stole.”

“Then it was worth it. If the Coluan you’re referring to is Dox, his assessments are usually right. I’ve come to trust his judgement. He’s the one who helped get me away from R’Kard in the first place, after all.” Knowing that Dox survived lightened Kara’s burden that much more. And if he survived, the people he’d been protecting probably did as well. But that was a question for another time. 

“Still,” Lena muttered, oblivious to Kara’s train of thought, “you shouldn’t have had to go through that torture. It killed me to see you like that. I don’t think I’ll ever get that image out of my mind.”

Smiling, Kara squeezed Lena’s hand as best she could manage. “You brought me back, though. I don’t know how you pulled it off, but I’m grateful. You’re amazing, Lena.”

“I just had access to the right technology at the right time. Not to mention some highly competent medics. In truth, I didn’t really do all that much…not compared to you sacrificing yourself for the greater good.” Tears glistening in the corners of her eyes, Lena reached out and laid her hand on Kara’s cheek. “I love how brave you are, Kara…and I hate you for it. When I think of how close I came to losing you forever….” She trailed off, sobbing. Instinctively, Kara sat up and pulled Lena close, ignoring the pain that shot through her lower legs at the sudden movement. It wasn’t pleasant, but at least the pain confirmed that she really was alive. She certainly hadn’t felt much of anything physically during the all-too-brief reunion with Astra.

“You didn’t lose me, Lee,” she reassured Lena, using her thumb to wipe away the other woman’s tears. “And I really wasn’t that brave. Truth is, I’ve never been more terrified in my life…especially after R’Kard convinced me that you and Alex were dead. I put on a brave face, since I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he’d beaten me, but my hope was gone. And between the guilt I felt over getting all those people killed because I just couldn’t let go of Maggie, and the fact that – as far as I knew – I’d lost everyone who mattered in one way or another, I just wanted it to be over.” Kara sighed, running her fingers through Lena’s now-wavy hair. “I’m just glad that Rao saw fit to land you guys on Argo instead of some uninhabited rock, and to grant me a second chance to get things right.” Kara pulled Lena into a passionate kiss before the other woman had a chance to respond. After everything that happened, she wasn’t about to waste another second. When they finally parted, Lena’s expression was unreadable. “W-was that okay?”

“It was perfect,” Lena grinned, initiating a second kiss. “I’ve been wanting to do that since well before this all started. I just never had the courage to act on those feelings. Until now. I’m just sorry it took my so-called mother shipping us to the other side of the galaxy for things to move forward between us.”

“And I’m sorry you had to find out my secret the way you did.”

Lena laughed. “Did you honestly think I never suspected? Glasses and a hairstyle change are hardly an adequate disguise, Kara. And you’ve never been exactly subtle. Hell, you’re probably the worst liar I’ve ever met.”

“You’re not mad?”

“Why would I be? I knew you’d have told me when you were ready had Lillian not interfered.” Smiling, Lena reached out and ran her fingers through what was left of Kara’s hair. “You know…despite the horrible reason behind this new look, I have to admit I kind of like it.”

“It’s not too butch?”

Another laugh. “Maybe a little. But I think you can pull it off. Not that I’d object if you wanted to grow it back out. It’s up to you.”

“One thing at a time, Lee. But thanks. It’s nice to know that not everything that came out of that horror was bad. I think we’re all stronger for what we’ve been through, clichéd as that sounds now that I’ve heard myself say it.”

“ _El-Mayarah_ ,” Lena nodded. “Stronger together.”

“You remembered!”

Lena grinned. “Kind of hard to forget. Especially considering where we are.”

“Where we are….” Kara muttered, trailing off as an idea occurred to her. “Marry me.”

“What?”

“Marry me, Lena.”

“I heard you the first time,” Lena shot back, looking a bit thunderstruck. “But don’t you think we’re moving a bit fast? We’ve never even officially dated.”

“I like to think of all those brunches, and lunches, and movie nights as dates, even if we never called them that. Lee, you know me better than anyone except Alex. We’ve lost enough time. I don’t want to waste any more dancing around what we both feel. I love you, Lena, and I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life without you by my side.” Which was the absolute truth. Now that Rao had granted her a second chance, Kara was resolved to do everything she’d wanted to before the abduction but had been too afraid to pursue. Forcing away the dark thoughts still swirling around her head about her time on War World, the Kryptonian reached out and brushed Lena’s hair back behind her ear, meeting her eyes as she did, just to make absolutely sure the other woman could see how serious she was.

“I love you too, Kara,” Lena smiled, pulling her in for another kiss. “And my answer, of course, is yes. We can do it as soon as we’re back on Earth.”

“Why wait? This may be my one chance to do this the Kryptonian way…in the Temple of Rao in front of my people. Show them that I didn’t need some computer to find the perfect mate.”

Lena’s eyebrow shot up. “So, this is about proving something?”

“O-of course not. It’s just…I never thought that – when and if I ever met the right person – I’d actually have a chance to have a traditional Kryptonian ceremony unless my cousin cobbled something together in the Fortress. And I’d really like to share that part of myself with you, if you’ll let me. We can always do a traditional Earth ceremony later.”

“I think I can work with that,” her betrothed grinned. “Besides, it would be nice to not have to carry the Luthor name with me back to Earth.”

“So, you want to become a Danvers?”

“If you’ll have me.”

“I’d love nothing better.” Kara drew Lena into another kiss, this time only pulling away when she heard someone nearby clearing their throat. 

“Am I interrupting something?”

Kara had to stop herself from squealing with happiness at the sight of her big sister in the doorway. Alex’s hair was much shorter than she remembered, she still had that weird tattoo on her right forearm (though somehow her eye had come back), and her left arm was shiny metal from the bicep on down. “Alex….”

“I’m going to go find Alura,” Lena smiled, stealing one more quick kiss. “Maybe she can tell me what a Kryptonian wedding actually entails.” She slipped out of the room, leaving Kara and Alex alone. Almost immediately, Alex dropped the ‘tough’ act and rushed over to the bed, throwing her arms around Kara. The younger Danvers returned the embrace, even as Alex’s tears stained…whatever it was she’d been dressed in. 

“It’s okay, Lexie,” Kara soothed. “I’m here. Not really sure _how_ you guys pulled this off, but I’m not going anywhere. I promise.” Tears escaped her own eyes as she held her big sister tight, thoughts of how close she came to losing Alex coming to the forefront. “Rao…I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too, kiddo.” Alex pulled back and wiped her eyes. “For a while, there, I really thought you were dead. Lena didn’t exactly let me in on her plan, and when I went to confront R’Kard after rescuing Maggie, I heard him bragging about what he did to you, complete with images. Suffice it to say, he won’t be hurting anyone ever again.”

“You killed him?”

Alex nodded. “I wasn’t exactly thinking straight at the time, but I’d be lying if I said I regretted it. Not after how he hurt you and Maggie.”

“Where is she, anyway?” Kara asked, wanting to change the subject. Hearing once and for all that her tormenter was dead actually brought a feeling of relief, but she hated that Alex had to be the one to do it…that her sister had even put herself in that position instead of staying with Maggie after the rescue.

Alex sighed, running her non-metal hand over the little hair she had left. “Good news is, she has her memories back. Bad news: she’s feeling incredibly guilty over whatever happened between you two on War World. I think she just needs a bit of space.”

“Maggie has nothing to feel guilty about,” Kara insisted, sitting up a bit straighter. “I asked her to do it.”

“That’s what she told me.”

“R’Kard had us convinced you and Lena were dead. There was no way to escape, and I thought no one would be coming to the rescue. And ending it quickly would at least cheat R’Kard of the satisfaction of drawing out my suffering for days, as he no doubt planned.” Kara sighed, once again fighting back tears at the thought of how close a call it had been. Not to mention those she hadn’t been able to save. “I’m sorry for putting her in that position. If she doesn’t want to be around me anymore, I understand.”

Alex shook her head, laying her non-metal hand on Kara’s arm. “R’Kard is the one who put her in that position, not you. And believe me when I say she still wants to be part of your life. She just needs a bit of time to come to grips with what happened.”

“Fair enough,” Kara nodded. Even dead, R’Kard was still affecting them. But she couldn’t make Maggie deal with the trauma any faster. It had to be on her own time. Just like Kara would be dealing with her own trauma. “So…what happened to your arm?” she ventured, once more eager to change the subject, before they could get any further into what she and Maggie had suffered. The last thing Kara wanted was to burden any of them with her issues…especially her sister. Alex clearly had enough to deal with.

“Lost it when the ship crashed. Engine fell on me.”

“And what were you doing in the engine room?”

“Long story.”

“I’ve got nothing but time,” Kara shot back, arching an eyebrow.

Alex sighed. “The Maaldorians put a bounty on our heads after we escaped the prison, and a Czarnian bounty hunter tried to collect.”

“Lobo? That maniac came after you?”

“You know about him?”

Kara nodded. “Kal’s dealt with Lobo before. He’s usually more of a nuisance than a real threat, but I guess things change. What did he do?”

“Somehow managed to get on board our ship while we were at FTL. Me and one of our security team went to head him off. I had strength-enhancing armor, so don’t give me that look,” Alex added.

“There was no look.”

“Sure there wasn’t.” Alex shook her head. “Anyway…we found him near engineering and tried to fight him off. He killed Tavi, and I removed his head. But he still somehow threw me into the engine. And then when the ship crashed, the parts that weren’t already broken fell on top of me. If it weren’t for Alura, I probably wouldn’t be here. She convinced the High Council to welcome us as honored guests and to give me the best medical care they had to offer. It was still pretty damned close,” she sighed. “Close enough that I had…I don’t know if it was a dream or vision or what, but I saw someone from the prison that I’d gotten close to, who’d died just before we made our escape.” Another sigh. “No…that’s not quite true. Our captors drugged us and forced us to fight, and I killed him. It’s also how I lost my eye. But whatever I saw after getting an engine dropped on me…it felt like closure. He forgave me and gave me the choice of either moving on to the next world or returning to my life. Obviously, I chose life.”

“And I’m so glad you did, Lexie,” Kara smiled, embracing her once more. She thought about her own experience with Astra in what she thought may have been Rao’s Light, but given Alex’s history with her late aunt, perhaps now wasn’t the best time to bring it up. “But if you lost an eye…?” she continued, shifting the subject yet again.

“Our hosts gave me an upgrade there, too. And with the full spectrum of what you can see under a yellow sun, plus some extras. As for my arm…well…right now it’s just an arm, but once Dox and Breena finish fixing the issues we recently discovered, I’ll be able to do quite a few neat tricks with it. Which I’ll show you after it’s fully functional again.”

“Cool,” Kara nodded. She wasn’t entirely happy that her sister would be reliant on technology for the rest of her life, but it was better than losing her altogether. “So just the eye and the arm?”

“They had to use nanotech to fix my spine, and that’s also pretty much a permanent thing. Otherwise I wouldn’t be walking. Guess it’s a good thing we crash landed in a place with such advanced technology.”

“Thank Rao,” Kara muttered. It had to be Rao’s will that led her sister and Lena there. Nothing else could explain how the two people she loved most just happened to land with the last of her kind. “So, you’re like a cyborg now?” she teased, gently poking her sister’s metal arm with a hand that still couldn’t quite feel much.

“Something like that. But I have no plans to go around calling myself Cyborg Supergirl.”

“Good, because that’s a stupid name, anyway.” As Kara spoke, she flexed her fingers a bit, and glanced up at Alex in time to see her big sister frown. “What?”

“I should be asking you that. Something’s wrong with your hands, I take it.”

Kara sighed. “How did you guess?”

“Because you’re a terrible liar, Kar. And I’ve known you long enough to tell when you’re hiding something.”

Kara shook her head, putting her hands in her lap. “They’ve been numb since I woke up. I have some feeling, but not anywhere near what I should.”

“Let me see.” Alex picked up one of Kara’s hands, gently poking at her skin with one of her metal fingers. “Can you feel that?”

“Sort of. There’s pressure, and a bit of cold, but that’s about it. Is this bad?”

“Shy’lo – our medic – said there may have been some nerve damage from those spikes that were driven into your wrists. And we think that between all the time spent under War World’s red sun and the nanotech that was preventing your cells from metabolizing any energy from a yellow one, it might take a bit longer than normal for your healing to fully kick in.” 

“Is that why my legs still hurt, too?”

“Probably,” Alex nodded, moving from her seat to lift up Kara’s arm, peeling back a layer of black cloth to expose some sort of control built into the black suit she was apparently wearing. “It’s a yellow sun suit,” she explained. “Breena invented them. It’s the best way to expose you to that type of solar energy without having to expose the rest of us to the level you’ll need to get better. I’m just going to kick it up a few more notches.” Alex did something with the control, and moments later Kara felt even warmer than she already did.

“That’s kind of neat, actually. Think they’ll let us bring it with us? It would be way better than the sun lamps at the DEO. At least with this I could walk around while healing…assuming I was up for it, of course.”

“I’m sure we could work something out. Breena’s part of the crew, actually. She joined us after realizing that the Science Guild didn’t really appreciate her work the same way we did.”

“Right. I can’t wait to meet her. And the rest of your new friends.”

“Of course. As soon as you’re up for it, I’ll give you the grand tour of the ship.”

“Does it really look like the Waverider?”

Alex laughed. “It does. At least as far as I can tell from Winn’s virtual tour. Though we did rearrange the front part of the bridge a bit so it’s more like the _Enterprise_.”

“Cool.” They fell silent for a few moments, until another smile spread across Alex’s features. “Now what?”

“When Lena left, did I hear her correctly? Something about a wedding?”

Kara ducked her head a bit. “I…uh…may have proposed just before you came in.”

“You’re fucking with me, right? I know lesbians are supposed to move fast, but this is WAY past a fucking U-Haul.”

“What does a U-Haul have to do with anything?”

Alex sighed. “Never mind….”

“Look, Lena and I love each other, and if I’ve learned anything from what I just went through, it’s that there’s no point in wasting time on something like this. Besides, this is my one chance to get married in the Temple of Rao, like I’d always dreamed about before Krypton exploded.” Kara paused for a moment, taking in her sister’s expression. “You know…I think you may just be jealous that we’re getting there first.”

Alex sputtered a bit. “No…that’s not….” She sighed, dropping back into her seat. “Okay, maybe a little bit. But mostly I just don’t want you getting hurt because you moved too fast.”

“I’ll be fine, Lexie. I promise.”

“Okay. I guess it’ll be good for you to have that bond when we get back, considering…” Alex trailed off, her expression unreadable.

“Considering what?”

“We should really wait for Lena to come back before we have this conversation.”

Kara shook her head. “Oh no…you can’t open the door like that and then just leave me hanging. What is it? Did something happen while we were gone?”

“J’onn found his way here, Kara, and he did it because Lillian finally fessed up to what she’d done to us.”

“J’onn’s here? Where is he?”

“Still with Maggie. She has her memories back, but it also brought back some old traumas he’s helping her work through. That’s not _why_ he came, though. He’s here because we’re needed.”

“Needed for what?”

“Do you want something to drink?” Alex suddenly asked, almost giving Kara whiplash with how quickly she changed the subject. “Let me get us both something.” She watched her sister go to the food and drink replicator by the door and retrieve two large glasses of what looked like Kryptonian wine, handing one of them to Kara.

“Are you sure this is safe for you to drink?”

“Trust me…I checked. And you’re definitely going to need it for this conversation.”

“Why? What in Rao’s name is going on?”

Alex drew in a deep breath, taking a rather large swig of her own drink before meeting Kara’s eyes. “How much has Barry told you about the multiverse?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's it for Part 2. To be honest, when I first started this thing, I hadn't envisioned it growing so massive. But here we are. I'll try my absolute best not to keep everyone waiting too long for more (even if it means breaking my usual rule and posting some of it before I'm completely finished). Subscribe to the Inferno series if you haven't already, and I'll see you again soon with the conclusion of this beast.


End file.
